The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1903-02-14
VALUABLE INFORMATION
Regarding the Raising of Long Staple
Cotton.

/
! At the request Of a friend | will
give some of my experience in the
raising and handling of long staple
cotton
In the first place 1t 10 necessary to
plant the best seed to be had. as it is
we'll known fact that long stapl g
cotton degenerates, both in length OF
staple and productiveness, as it is a
plant that has been brought up to this
high standard by careful selection
and culling and next, good lands are
necessary; il not naturally So, they
should be made so by liberal fertiliz-
ing, either by home or commercial
fertilizers.
New lands, just taken into cultiva-
tion, should not be planted in long
staple cotton as the plants grow too
much to weed and is slow in matur-
ing and fruit is Usually very poor and
is more subject to rot in wet weather.
I have seen more failures on such
lands than from any other cause.
Lands that have been in cultivation
for several years and are free from
all shade give the best results Me-
dunn grade lands should be fertilized
with commercial fertilizers, (if no
other kind can be had) and should be
applied in the water-furrow in guam
titles Of from four to six hundred
pounds per acre, about two to three
weeks before planting. 1t is just as
easy to cultivate an acre of land that
will produce bale of cotton to the
acre as one that will make only half
as much.
After the cotton has come up and
is cut out to a stand, thorough culti-
vation is necessary; no matter wheth-
er it be done with plows, sweeps or
cultivators. A large number Of farm
ers have made the mistake of leaving
their cotton too close both in the
drill and between the rows. The
largest crop ever made was when l
gave plenty of room both in drill,
(21a to Sft. and 3 feet between the
rows. This was in lands where the
cotton grows as high as your head.
Cotton is sun plant and for it's
full development it is necessary for it
to have plenty of sunlight and air,
and then it is not as liable to rot in
in wet weather as when planted
closer.
Ricking should commence as soon
as there are d Few boils. open And-
should be kepJ up with throughout
the whole season. Hands can pick
more and pick it closer just as it
opens than they can after it has been
open some time; and then you set a
high grade Of cotton which is necessary
to obtain the highest market price. If
your cotton is damp, sun it and dry
it out, as it is always necessary for
your cotton to be perfectly dry, for
no gin ever made a smooth sample
from damp cotton.
There is every indication for high
prices for this coming season for
l 3-S to 5-8 inch high grade cotton.
My reason for saying SO is; First,
the Egyptian crop, which is long
staple cotton, is short this season and
the price has advanced during the
past few months from 41a to cents
per pound and as every bale of last
years crop has been used, therefore,
there will be all incresaed demand for
our long staple cotton, And again,
there is large number of the new
cotton mills now being erected both
in the North and South, that will use
long staple cotton, as the mills find
that it is more profitable to make
finer goods, as the demand for them
is greater for the reason that the
world is growing richer every year
and the masses are able to buy more
of these high grade goods. and if we
of the South do not grow more of this
cotton then the nilla will find some
substitute for this long staple cotton.
Jas. B. Allen.
Port GIBSON Miss.