The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-01-14
PRACTICAL COTTON IDEAS.

/ ldluIe lot UUt year lJOo. NO man /
wants TO fail In any undertaking. |
especially the farmer whose living .
for himself and family depends upon |
that success. To succeed one must !
know how, and you car know how |
only through education. care not /
how II comes. but 1t is prerequisite. |
know no better way to procure It |
than by exchange of thought and ex
pcricrce This article will be con.
fined to this feature Of the subjc Il. |
Preparation of land to be used for |
cotton will be- the first considered |
This should have been begun the |
first OF October. but from now on
until the first of next March will do !
! II the work Is well cone.
II a man has pasture lands up
on which there is no living water.
he should dig deep and wide to pre-
pare tank that will furnish ample
water during IN, dry season. This
should be done IA the fall or early
| winter
The soil which the farmer plows
| Is the reservoir In which he stores
away water to tide his crops dur
| ing the summer months. and like the
| tank. II this Is shallow and made
late In the spring. the result will
be disastrous There are three
kinds of water with which the far.
mor has to do, the first OF which Is
.ood water which comes in the
form OF rain and this furnishes the
other two kinds. To control the
water waste is one of the most i'm
portant problems the farmer has to
solve. The most effectual solution
is to plow In October about IL in.
ches deep. with 1. inch plow with
three or four animals. Some say
the renter cannot afford to do this,
but | contend that he cannot only
afford to do IL, but should do II for
he of all men is most Interested in
II. lie Is guaranteed 10 to 80 per
cent Increase in that years crop.
\ failure to him means something.
The farmer can also make the sea
son what he wants II to be by deep
plowing storing away an immense
quantity of moisture and retaining
It. Not later than May first for any
part OF Oklahoma planting should
be done. The farmer who has good
average upland who has planted his
cotton one stalk to the hill feet
has .egun CORE itly.
The boil weevil Las come TO stay
and we may as well begin to combat
him. Failure to do so means that
quit raising IT,
There are just two ways to sue
cessfully raise uotton-one Is to
plant 4 y and the other is to
plant in four foot rows and thin
out to IL and four feet. II mat
tcrs not which way is selected, the
surface cultivatOr should precede
the planter. Seed of all kinds should
be planted near the surface God
planted the first that men might
learn the art, and when you try to
improve on his plan you will fail,
When the cotton begins to come up
the farmer must preserve the soil
moisture, and the best way is TO
take the harrow and give the land
thorough narrowing cross the
rows from which the planting was
done. continue this narrowing af-
ter every rain until grass begins TO
appear. No one should plant more
II tNrn can be gone over in two
days with the cultlvator: land
aid not be allowed to remain un.
stirred more than forty-eight hours
after rain. Never lay by a drop
OF cotton when plowing is over
commence picking. the next day.
When eaton is two thirA' its
height, It should be topped this
produces limb growth, upon which
the fruit is produced
|, Pillow deep and early. store an
immense quantity of water
Plant early and less acreage; cul-
tivate rapidly, often. until gather
ing tlme-27+0 stalks TO the acre.
Result More lands to devote to
other crops-more potatoes, more
feed, more corn and hogs, larger or
chard more cotton off less land,
and better price because of early
gathering,
W. II. IL. KELTNER.