St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-09-01
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
Cotton Culture.

AAOuA suC COru plduL In several
pertinent particulars. It is a perennial
plant. continuing its growth and fruit
ang until killed by frost It has no
cycle OF time written which it must
perform all its evolutions. Cultiva-
ton and Climate have greatly modified
this natural characteristics, but it is
still quite different from corn, which
has its habitual period of growth,
caring time and harvest, covering about
six months from the planting (early
planting), to the hard corn. What
must be done must be done quickly in
the cultivation of corn. Hence it is
often said that cotton will bear neglect
but corn will not. Another essential
difference is that corn makes its fruit
its one or more ears-all at once, SO
to speak. every stalk in the field. If all
OF the same age, silking and tasselling
within very short time. while cotton
commences fruiting in June and
continues throughout the summer and
fall and until arrested by frost. Our
theory of continued and late cultiva-
fion of cotton is based on this pecu-
Qiarity Of continued and prolonged
growth and fruiting. After the be-
ginning of the period of blooming
there is no well-narked point of growth
and development of a cotton plant,
which would indicate that blowing or
stirring Of the soil should no longer
continue, rs in the case OF corn. Hence,
frOm these considerations, we conclude
that cotton may be benefited by plow-
ing up to date after which blooms
will not have time to mature into ripe
bOlls. In the latter stages the advan-
tage or benefit the crop may derive from
continued blowing may not be suffi-
cient to justify the labor. This Is a
point to be determined by the average
results OF several years experience.
We have several times plowed over an
entire crop Of cotton as late as the
middle of August. running one sweep
furrow in each middle, and with mate
rial benefit This rule should be OBJ
served in cultivating cotton: The in
fervals between successive plowings
Where cotton is in its fruiting stage
and has attained to more than half its
final height, If plowed again the work
should not be deferred much beyond
the usual interval, else the entire sur
face viii have become SO permeated by
rootlets that the blowing would do
more harm than good. The crop this
year il rather later than usual. and
the cultivation throughout the month
should be mainly to encourage
the development of reed. which
necessarily includes the formation OF
squares and blooms. No crust should
he permitted to form and harden on the
surface if practicable to prevent it.
The interval between plowings, or stir
rings of the surface by whatever inn
plement used, should rarely be longer
than ten days. 1t is not necessary as a
rule to run two burrows in each middle
mt the same blowing. Two burrows
generally involve considerable waste
of time. Try the plan we have often
suggested: With a wide-extended cul-
both sides of every alternate row. This
puts one furrow in every middleand will
stir very nearly the entire surface of
the field. In ten days or less, return
and side both sides of the rows that
hwere left before. This practically
amounts to another stirring of the
|entire surface. The formation of an
impervious crust prevents the air from
freely entering the soil and effecting
those chemical changes which are
necessary to keep up the supply of
soluble plant food. At the same time
the closer contact of the particles of
soil-the result Of a heavy rain-great-
~ facilitates the rising of the moisture
from below by capillarity, and its es-
cape into the air. Stirring the surface
6Oil breaks the continuity of the
capillary tubes by separating the
particles of soil to a greater distance
and filling the interstices with air.
The loose surface soil then acts as a
mulch, the effect of which is well
understood.
II the usual interval has elapsed
eince the last previous blowing, the
field is clean OF grass and no rain has
fallen. it is doubtful if any benefit to
hhe crop will result from blowing it al
this season. Certainly not more than
jone wide furrow to the middle should
he given.
Topping of cotton has never been re-
duced to any well defined rules. Some
times it pays when the plants are large
and vigorous and already loaded with
more forms than can be developed
into fruit. The operation is gen.
orally performed too late in the
season to accomplish any re-
suits. Every one has noticed that
stalks that have been topped by the
bite of mule during the middle stage
Of growth-much earlier than the usual
time Of topping appear to have been
kreatly benefited. The effect OF re
moving the bud of the main stem is to
bomewhat arrest the further growth of
the plant and divert its energies to the
development Of the forms already set
md the young hollis.
Observation seems to confirm the
suggestion that the operation is most
likely to do good when performed
from the middle to the last of July,
according to the development of the
hlank-SOuthern CMltirator.
RAerAat,on for Earmerss Wivea.