St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-06-30
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL,
ssasonable Note. on Cotton cul.ur,

Ssasonab'e Notes on Cotton Culture.
On nearly every farm ''cotton chop.
ping" il the order of the dav some
time during the month. 1t is the
farmers dread on account OF appre.
hcnded bad weather. and scarcity of
labor. or 'day hands" Circumstances
should determine whether the hoes
should precede or follow the plows.
II the cotton has come up well on
comparatively fresh beds-no heavy
rains having fallen since the seed
vas plsnted. and consequently but
little or no grass. the work Of chop
ping may Properly commence at once.
without PREVIOUS blowing especially
II the Plows are still engaged in the
corn crop II however. the beds
have been compacted by heavy
rains forming crust and
inducing a vigorous growth of
grass it is very important to stir the
entire surface as quickly as possible
by horsepower. Where the stand is
good and the land is comparatively
level. some farmers have been pleased
with the plan of cross-harrowing the
entire surface with something like a
Thomas smoothing harrow. Our own
experience is rather in favor of a mar
rover triangular harrow. with the
center tooth removed. drawn along
and aside the rows of plants. so as TO
sir the entire surface at one straight
trip to the row. This narrowing. or
sweeping rs may be. permits the sur
light and air TO penetrate the soil.
and wonderfully accelerates the
growth of the young plants.
while it destroys all grass
that has either come mp
or sprouted. The hoes should not f0l-
low the blowing or narrowing closer
than within four or five days 1t is a
common practice with farmers to
make 'surc work" at the first hoeing.
cleaning-ironing 1.-The rows" as
some express it-and reducing the |
stand carefully to two or three stalks
between each width of the hoe. This
is a tedious operation. and requires a |
long time to get over the crop This
plan. according to our experience. IS
not generally advisable. When the
cotton has begun to take on the Sec
ond and third leaves it needs to he
thinned and the remaining grass re-
n6ved - quickly as possible. 1t
often happens that the entire
crop hiss come up rs the effect of a
single shower of rain. and every acre
is equally impatient to be worked.
Tho object then. is to 60 over tho
crops as rapidly as possible; to hoe. |
rs well as to plow. the greatest num-
Der of rows in day until the entire
crop has reosived attention. then re-
turn Immediately 10 the starting
point and do the work more carefully
and deliberately. The punches of
plants should be left rs far apart as
the stalks are expected to stand when
to a final stand. 1t is no use
to leave bunch Of stalks now to be
cut away at next hoeing b. this
method more cotton will be thinned
and more grass removed or
destroyed from among the
plants in ono day than
BY the '.slow, but sure" plan of
spending from one to two days per
hand in chopping one acre. Some
rall this blocking out" and it is
rather Objectionable to neat farmer
until he understands the rationale.
All other things being equal. the most
Effective hoeinS. at this juncture. Is
hat which kills the most grass and
.hins (partia:ly) the greatest number
# hills of cotton in a given time. This
means going over the greatest area in
} day. The famous David Dickson
lsed to say that he taught his hoe
hands never to strike twice in .
he same place. To do the work
# chopping or hoeing cotton most
'feciively and expcditiously, every ,
'and should be supplied with light
teeL square-cornercd hoe. and it
hould be kept sharp. A file orscythc
tone is very convenient lthing for
he foreman to carry in his pocket.
Would that we could do away with
no care and extra seed necessary to
ecura contineous rowsof plants and
he subsequent resulting labor OF
tho continuity Of cutting /,
mt .three-fourths or, more of the
'lants! Careful selection. and. prcser-
ration of planting seed and dropping 9
r planting in hills is the coming q
Ian. Mark it.-Southern CMltirator.