The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-04-01
Farmers Demonstration Work

connected with the United States De-
partment Of Agriculture in demonstra-
ton work in this section:
"The past winter has been so wet
that there has been less than the usual
opportunity to prepare the land for
this years cfbp. The rains have con-
tinued so late that many fields are still
very wet. These conditions make it
all the more necessary that the soil be
well prepared before planting. In the
impatience to m planting the
temptation to plow before the land is
dry enough is very great. Against this
we issue a word of warning. There are
few more injurious farm practices.
Land plowed wet at this time is injured
for the whole season.. Such land is
more than likely to be cloddy, and a
clod in the fell is of little use to plants.
Cloddy land is hard to work and seldom
gives a good stand. 1t furnishes a
minimum of food to the plants and is
exceedingly subject to drought.
"While it is desirable, especially in
the boil weevil sections, to plant cotton
as early as possible, yet there is moth
ing gained by placing the seed in the
ground before the latter is warm
enough to cause it to terminate and
grow, or before the soil is thoroughly
prepared. This was strongly illustrated
last year in boil weevil sections. Where
the land was properly prepared before
planting, even though this preparation
caused a delay in putting. the seed into
the ground, the yield was much better
than where attention was not given to
this detail. A thorough preparation is
more than half the cultivation. Do not
plant either cotton or corr before the
land is worked into a fine seed bed,
even if planting is a little late.
Last spring a great amount of trou-
BILE was experienced in securing stands,
especially of cotton. This was primarily
due to a late, wet spring; but there
were other contributing factors, includ-
ing poor preparation of land, improper
depth of planting and poor seed. The
farmers seem fairly we'll aroused to
the Importance of good seed. To be
good the seed must not only be from a
good variety, but must have been care
fully selected, and so cared for that
they have strong vitality. Be sure the
seeds planted have not been damaged
from any cause. Prepare the land
thoroughly and sufficiently in vance
of planting, so that there is a fl" eed
bed. Then avoid one of the mo-, ON
mon causes of loss of stand-that of
planting too deep.
with w~ell-prepared land, good cot
ton seed, if properly planted, will ger
inmate, even in a dry spring, when
covered to no greater depth than one
fourth inch. Many Of the cotton plant
ing machines or the market are faulty,
in that it is almost impossible to u
the depth at which the seeds are placed
in the ground. This defect is only in
creased if the seed bed is loose. Fur
ther, while the seed may not actually
be covered to a great depth, many
leave them in a trench, with hills of
loose dirt on each side. The first good
rain washes this dirt into the trench
and buries the seed too deep. This
should be avoided. A light roller should
always follow the planting, so as to
press the ground close to the seed.
1T is best, even where it is not nee
essary to plant upon beds, to place the
seed upon a slight ridge, especially in
planting early. This insures drainage
and warmth, and consequently a good
stand. There are more stands lost in
planting cotton by using too much than
too little seed. When a bushel of seed
is used it is very often a detriment, be-
cause the seeds are so close that when
they terminate they lift the soil in the
whole top of the row. If dry or a lit
tie cool weather follows, the soil i'm
medlately aroun the young plant dries
out or is chilled by the cool nights, and
the plants die. If this does not occur,
the farmer is obliged to thin the cotton
when very young, while the plants are
Idelicate and are easily injured. Perfect
stands of cotton have been obtained
with four pounds of seed, and if the
seed has been properly selected and
preserved it should never require more
than a peck per acre, provided the land
is in good condition and the seed is
properly planted.
Prepare the land thoroughly before
planting.
"Use selected seed of known parent
age and good quality.
"Plant shallow-not over o~ne-fourth
inch in depth on a firm bed.
"Follow planting with a roller, and
use care that the seed drill is not in a
trench.
"Be sure that the seed bed is well
drained.
with these precautions there should
be no difficulty in securing a stand Of
either cotton or corn this year. These
directions are for normal conditions.
and are applicable with all ordinary sea-
sons and soils.
lowing to the difference in soil fer
tility and varieties of colt n it is i'm
possible to give any gen .ral rule for
distances between the rows and for
spacing of the plants in the row. How
ever, as some guide, we give the fol-
lowing: