266 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ocr., 1902. 
planting. Where pruning is contemplated, it is advisable to leave the distances 
apart somewhat greater than if the decision is to cut out the bushes annually. 
The seasons being equally propitious, pruned cotton will generally form a more 
robust shrub than the seedling. As the question of pruning will be dealt with 
in a subsequent article, I will reserve my remarks for that occasion. 
CULTIVATION. 
Jn the struggle for existence with the host of weeds which always appear, 
the cotton plant during the first few weeks of its growth, and until it has 
passed its tender stage, will require close attention, in the matter of tillage. 
Here the farmer will score who has in the preceding tillage operations suec- 
ceeded in destroying weeds and their seeds. Whether the young cotton plant 
is to survive in the struggle against weeds during the warm days of spring, and 
whether it shall outstrip its foes, will depend on the foresight of the farmer, 
The American aphorism that it is better to hoe twice than once, is our idea of 
sound rural practice. Cotton responds to intelligent tillage quicker than most 
crops. Give the crop generous conditions as to rainfall, cultivation, and 
moderate fertility of soil, and it will soon outstrip the werds. Sunshine and 
light are essential to its nature, and it revels in these conditions. Its healthy 
foliage, its pretty flowers of pink and yellow myriads in number, will all teil 
the tale of the farmer’s treatment. or the reason that sunshine is a material 
factor in the growth of the cotton plant it is advisable, where the contour of 
the land permits, to strike the rows of cotton north and south, for the reason 
that by doing so a little less shade is produced among the shrubs than if the 
rows were drawn otherwise. As, under ordinary conditions of planting, the 
farmer will have but two or three months to keep his crop clean, it is imperative 
his task should not in any sense be neglected. Cotton sown in October will 
have attained such dimensions by December that no further tillage is possible 
or required. ‘The planter, as his crop develops, will need to take special pre- 
cautions to prevent injury by reason of friction of traces or swingle-bars 
moving too closely to the shrubs. Much damage can be done by neglecting this 
precaution. Embryo pods are broken off, branches are either injured by barking 
or breaking, all of which go to diminish the farmer’s profits from the crop. 
There is one aspect of this cultivation that the farmer needs to take 
cognisance of at this stage of operations, because it will have a material bearing 
on the subsequent welfare of the crop. This is the question of pruning 
of the plant, and which will be discussed later on. I merely point out 
that the grower at this stage of operations should give some attention to the 
question, as upon the first year’s tillage operations much of the success 
of the succeeding years of pruned crops will depend. It can be taken 
without contradiction by all practical farmers that annual ploughing is a greater 
factor in clean cultivation than is possible without it. 
Here, then, is a point to emphasise, which is, that in the event of the plants 
being destined to remain for one or two years as pruned cotton, the tillage it has 
received in its first year will have a prominent effect on the value of the crops. 
I fully believe that in our past practice this feature did not receive the 
attention it merited, to the disadvantage of the farmer. Whether the 
cotton-planter determines to cultivate only for seed or to prune his cotton, the 
question of tillage is important, but more so must it be when the initial 
preparation of the land has to do with the crop growing in subsequent years. 
Take, for instance, an area infested with that arch-enemy, couch grass. Given 
a strong hold during the early cultivation, so hard is it to eradicate that by the 
time the land has remained over a year without ploughing it becomes most 
difficult to cope with, and each succeeding year the trouble accentuates. I speak 
on this matter from personal experience, knowing well the value of 
precautions in this respect. Those farmers who are cultivating crops that 
permit of the land being ploughed once if not twice in the year 
will perhaps treat this matter rather lightly, for it is comparatively easy to 
keep land moderately clean under such conditions. But given conditions of 
