The Tupelo journal., 1908-03-20
HELPS TO CORN AND
COTTON PLANTERS

k~&SN
wet that there has been less than
usual ) oortunity to prepare the
land ,os this years crop. The
rain bare continued so late that
man, nelds are still very wet.
These conditions make 1t all the
more necessary that the soil be
well prepared before planting.
In the impotence to commence
planting the temptation to plow
before the land is dry enough is
very great. Against this we is
sue 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 field 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
subjected to drough.
While it is desirable, especially
in the boll-weevil sections, to
plant cotton as early as possible,
yet there is nothing 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 thor
oughly prepared before planting
e,en though the preparation
caused a delay in putting the
seed into the ground, the yield
was much better than where at
tention was not given to this de-
tail. A thorough preparation is
more than half the cultivation.
Do not plant either corn 90 cot
ton before land is worked into a
fine seed bed even if planting is
q little late.
Last spring a great amount of
troaole was experienced in secur-
ing stands, wet spring; but there
were other contributing factors,
including poor preparation of
land, improper depth Of planting
and poor seed. The farmers
seem fairly we'll aroused to the
Importance of good seed. 20 be
good the seed. must not only be
from a good variety but must
have been carefully selected and
so cared for that they have
strong vitality. Be sure the
seeds planted have not been
damaged from any cause. Pre-
pare the land thoroughly and suf-
ficiently in advance of planting
so that there is a firm seed bed.
Then avoid one of the most COM
mon causes of loss of stand-that
of planting to deep.
With well-prepared land, good
cotton seed, if properly planted,
will terminate even in a dry
spring when covered to no great
err depth than one-fourth inch.
Many of the cotton planting ma
chimes on the market are faulty
that it is almost impossible to
gauge the depth at which the
seeds are placed in the ground.
This defect is only increased if
the seed bed is loose. Further,
while the seed may not actually
be covered to great death, many
leave them in a trench with hills
of loose dirt on both sides. 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
O press the ground close to the
seed.
It is best even where it is not
necessary to plant upon beds, to
place the seed upon a slight
ridge, especially in planting ear
ly. 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 little cool
weather-feAows the soil immedi-
ately around the young plant