The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-28

The difference in maturing of the diff
ferent paintings diminishes from the date
of blooming until there is practically no
difference when the bolls begin to burst.
Pickings commence on all plats Septem-
btr and ended Novembers3. The stand
on the different plats is so irregular that
1t is difficult to draw conclusions as To
the effect of the time of the various plant
ings. In former experiments, the earlier
paintings have given larger yields.
THICKNESS OF PLANTING.
This experiment was situated in the
same field as the castor bean experiment,
where the soil is thin and poor, but the
crop turned out somewhat better. The
plan was to have a plat with the stalks
nine inches apart in the row, one with
twelve inches apart, and one with eigh-
teen inchase apart for each of the yaria-
tons between the rows
The variations in the results may be
partly assigned to the irregular stand on
many Of the plats
EXPERIENCE OF FARMERS WITH
COTTON.
In the fall of 1899 an inquiry concern
ing the cotton crop was conducted in
parts of Noble, Lincoln, Logan and
Payne counties. Eighty farmers in these
counties were interviewed and the re-
suit Of their experience and observation
with this crop has been summarized. Ten
per cent of this number regarded the
growing Of this crop as Improbable. The
average area devoted to cotton, was IF
teen acres, and the Yields during the fall
aria
seed cotton per acre. This cotton was
sold at $50 to 81 per hundred pounds
with an estimated profit per acre of from
s. to so. The yields this year were about
two-thirds of what was secured in 1895
but the difference in price made the profit
per acre about the same. Many farmers
regarded the crop as one which is desira-
BILE 10 provide work that the children can
do, but deDlore the fact that cotton pick
ing frequently keeps the children out of
school.
Sandy or sandy loan soils are given
the preference, and there is a strong be-
lief in the value of manure on cotton
soils. The time Of planting varied from
April Is to May Is. with no traceable eff
feet on the yield from the difference in
chopped to one stalk each to is inches,
with rows three to three and one-half
feet apart. The average number Of cult
tons given was three, with a preference
about equally divided between level and
ridge culture. The advantage of thor
ough, shallow cultivation and clean Gull
ture was noted by many. The average
number of pickings given was three.
1t is the general opinion that the grow
ing of a limited amount of cotton will
prove continually profitable This crop
has its place in the great diversifcation
Of crops possible here and there seems to
be no tendency toward making the great
mistake of going into exclusive cotton
growing.
COWPEAS FOR GRAIN.
One large plat of each of the following
Black Eye, Clay and Whip
Dorwill, were drilled in rows three feet
apart. fair stand was obtained on all
IF the plats, and the plants were from
four TO twelve inches apart in the row.
The soil where the plants were situated
IS only of fair fertility. The Black Eye
was planted on May % and was up May
%. The Clay and Whipporwill were plant
ed on May 80 and were up on June 4. The
growth during June and July was quite
satisfactory, but no blooms appeared
The dry weather in August stopped the
growth, but the plants remained green
until the first of September, when the
caves commenced to turn yellow; and as
only a scattering bloom here and there
had made an appearance, the plants were
all cut for hay the first week in Septem-
Der. The following is the yield of well
cured hay per acre for each variety
Black Eye. rs of ton; Clay, .96 of a
ton, and Whipporwill, rs of a ton.
1t IS fair yield of hay when it IS con-
sidered that all was well cured, and that
the crop was in rows suitable for raising
grain and not thick enough for the larg-
est yield of hay. The failure of cowpeas
to produce crop of grain, due to the
lrouth, is not frequent occurrence, but
sometimes happens when the drouth
strikes them all the critical time and is
IF long duration.