The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1896-04-15
SOUTH FLORIDA COTTO

| Oh COttOn, ana II is evident from this that
many of our people who have heretofore
cultivated nothing but oranges will this year
turn their attention to cotton.
We candidly admit that we are not in a
position to give the proper kind of advice
| in the matter of cotton culture in this
section, and we fear that there will be
many failures for the want of just this
| information. as cotton culture is something
new in this section, or rather it is new to
the present generation and population. In
general way cotton culture is cotton culture
the South over. The plan followed in one
section is followed in another, but there
must be some variation made for difference
in latitude and soils. Except in the matter
of applying fertilizers there has been no
material change in the cultivation of cot
ton during the past half century. Go in
cttoon regions of the South today and you
will fad the farmer throwing up his beds
in the same way his grandfather did. Later
on he will follow the same plan of cultlva-
ton and harvesting.
This plan is by no means crude, as many
suppose. The cultivation of cotton requires
the highest manipulation of the implements
possible.
In early spring as soon as the danger of
! frost is past-and the earlier the better
the farmer breaks up his land. This is
done with turn plow, and the most care
full farmer will run four burrows to the row,
and after the beds are thus made will com +
plete the operation by running six inch
shovel pillow, or narrower bull tongue be-
tween the rows.
AS soon as possible after the beds are in
readiness, in clayey sections it is often nee
essary to smooth the ridges with harrow.
the weight of the implement depending
upon the condition of the soil. If the clods
are large and stubborn an iron tooth har-
row of considerable weight is used. On the
pine lands of Florida this narrowing would
| be intirely unnecessary as we think would
| also the high ridges used in other sections
of the South. Where the soil is light, or
| WHICH, IL 10 Ill d uAC6 iuCllOW alter
| the bed making process is completed, no
| narrowing is given but the planter drawn
by one mule is run over the bed. These
planters are of varied patterns, many of
them, doing efficient work. are made by
the planters. They consist of a serrated
hollow cylinder eighteen inches to two feet
| thick and of sufficient circumference to
hold from one to two bushels of seed In
the serrated points are openings through
which the seed pass. In front of these
and attached to the beam of the planter is
narrow bull tongue pillow. This opens
the furrow in which the seed fall in a con.
tinuous narrow stream. Following the CYL
inder. and made part Of the implement, is
a coverer. This consists simply of board
fastened to the back of the machine which
throws the dirt back on the opened furrow.
This practically makes three operations in
one-opening. sowing and covering.
| The covering is not more than two inches
deep, and if warm weather follows the
seed terminate quickly. AS the matter of
obtaining good stand is ofcourse essential,
and the young plant is tender and apt to
meet many backsets, mauy times more seed
are put in the ground than needed. The
! -;doac oFto~ he tt0w &c Al