The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-03-26
CO.tOn Planting.

Most Of the failures in cotton plant
ing may be ascribcd to-firsi: Want of
knowledge to select the soil adapted
for the plant. Second, Want Of prop
CT preparation of the soil. Third,
Want of sufficient manure. Fourth,
A faulty mode OF cultivation. Fifth.
/ Too crowded a stand: and sixth, Too
little care in selecting seed.
Cotton requires deep. mellow loan,
allowing surplus water 10 gcther be-
/ low the reach Of the roots-a soil thai
is easily penetrated by the heat of the
SUI. \ true, natural cotton soil is
much rarcr TO the cotton belt Of the
south than many of our readers may
( be prepared 10 affirm. The banks of
the Mississippi. Red river, Arkansas
river, the lazoo, the Alabama river,
and some minor streams, constitute
I the majority OF these lands. OF course
cotton can be, and is, planted on differ
cnt soils, which arc not as congcnial
TO its growth. And here it is where
most of the failures take place. IL is
on these soils particularly that we
have to exert our knowledge aud
experience to make it fully adapted TO
the plant. We can do it by thorough,
deep culture, drainage and manuring.
lfit, under all circumstances, is ncces.
sary to prepare the land well for cot
ton, it is so much more so on soils with
close subsoiIs, or soil as is inclined to
bake.
Where clay, aud particularly red
clay, constitutes the subsOil. the break
ing up the soil cannot be made too deep.
A two-horse plow should preccde and
turn furrow as deep as practicable,
from seven 10 nine inches, followed by
a bulltonguc, long and narrow or bet
ter, a subsoil litter, which should break
the subsoil to "A depth of at least six
inches. This operation ough; TO be
performed in January and February.
By the time the beds have TO be pre-
pared for planting, the soil will have
settled sufficiently TO work il to advan-
tage. Manuring is. with exception of
certain cotton soils on the river, nee
essary Barn-yard manure composted
with muck, road-scrapings, dirt from
fence corners, and whatever oflal of
vegetable matter that NAV be found on
the farm, constitutes the cheapest ma
nu:c. This ought to be hauled TO the
field and spread broadcast, as even as
possible, aud then the beds thrown up.
If artificial manurcs are to DC APP
piled, they either are placed in a plant
er, constructed for that purpose, or
furrow about seven inches deep is
opened on top of the bed with a bull
tongue, incorporating the manure with
the soil. These operations to take
place Immediately ahead of the plant
ing.
II is always safer TO mix the manure
with the soil than TO let il come in di-
rect contact with the seeds. In unfa-
vorable seasons, the manure may de-
stroy the vitality Of the seeds.
Many err in their mode of cultiya-
ton. II has been sufficiently proved
by repeated experiments that from the
time the dirt has been thrown back
to the plant no plow should be allowed
i'm cultivation. From that period the
sole object in cultivation should be to
keep the weeds down, and merely stir
the surface. Many are of the crrone-
Gus opinion that a, long as there is no
Here il is where they are sadly mis-
taken. Even if not blade Of grass is
visible, the cultivation should take
place every eight or twelve days.
The frequent stirring of the surface
is necessary. The consequence of this
mistaken idea is-that in waiting for
the grass to appear before commencing
cultiyating, the grass has the adyan-
tagc: and should, accidentally, heavy
rain appear and delay the intended
cultivation for some days, the farmer
will find that he has field Of well
rooted grass 10 contend with, which
will compel him to use pillow, and to
cultivate deeper than he may desire,
and is of advantage to the plant.-Ne,c
OrlcmtS U0Btc ,j0Wpal.