The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-05-30
Cultivation of Cntfnn.

Cotton differs from almost every
other plant cultivated in this country
in the length of season required for
reaping the full profits. that may be
derived from it. This results from the
fact that cotton is in its nature a
perennial. and consequently displays no
alacrity in maturing its fruit before
frost. hence the necessity on the part
of the farmer of pressing the advance
ment of the plant as rapidly as posi-
Bile during the summer months. The
great desideratum of the cotton plant
er is to obtain the longest possible
period for his harvest season, conse-
quently during the early part of the
summer his policy should be to press
the crop and obtain open balls early
in August, so that the pickers may
start in with their bags and baskets
by the last of that month.
The first cultivation the crop receives
should commence about fifteen days
after the planting. The first cultiva-
ton may be easy and rapid if the
ground was well prepared before plant
ing. light plow-scraper is the best
should be run close to the line of
plants, cutting away the weeds and
grass and stirring the earth to a mod
crate depth; the hoes follow, smooth
ing Irregularities produced by the plow
and cleaning the intervals between the
clumps of young plants. In the ordi-
nary mode of planting, when the seed
is scattered thickly through the drills
this first cultivation is called chop
ping out
Two weeks after the hands should go
over the crop again, thinning out the
young plants ITO a stand. This Is
,esfit
which l deem the best way especially
in strong soils. This second cultiva-
ton should be more thorough than
any, the thriftiest plants only being
spared, and the rest taken ND with
care so as to not displace the roots
of those allowed to remain. A little
fresh earth Is thrown around the roots
of the young plants, and the entire
ridge as we'll as the intervals between
should be made perfectly clean. On
good soil with favorable seasons the
growth will now be rapid and the
subsequent cultivation can be effected
mainly with the pillow.
Here it should be remembered that
deep blowing, except when the land
is bedded up for a crop in the spring,
is never beneficial. 1t breaks the hat
eral roots of the plants. and this re-
tards the development of the pod and
curtails the picking season, hence the
best plow for cultivating cotton is one
Which instead of turning up the soil
scrapes the surface of the earth. The
implements in common use are very
well adapted to this purpose; they of
ten when skllfuEy used clean the sur
face so thoroughly that the hoes can
pass over the crop very rapidly.
Sometimes early in the month of July
on a good soil the plants will be so
far advanced the boughs will touch
and perhaps look across the middle.
Many planters think that little is gained
by running the plows after the crop
attains this growth. but the more the
ground is stirred the more the heat
of the sun penetrates the soil and falls
upon the roots of the young plants, and
this is what is required to hasten their
development. No rule can be laid
down as TO the number of times the
farmer should so over his crop, as the
cultivation must vary with the season
and conditions of the soil. All move
ments in the cotton field should be
brisk, so the force may pass over the
crop rapidly. Cotton is a very jealous
plant and will not struggle with weeds
or grass for a division of the fertiliz-
ing properties OF the soil. It will not
grow unless kept very clean and the
full energy Of the soil is kept concen-
trated upon Vt alone.