The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1908-12-24


Enaking a crop of cotton by about one
fourth This means that crop must
be made in weevil infested areas In
this State from 100 to 20 days, and
this. too, in the first part of the sea
syn. Perhaps. at some time, every
cotton grower in this State has made
o good crop of cotton in SO to 100
days. This has been done in the
Delta as well as in the upland Sec
tjons, but in all cases, perhaps, the
crop. was made during the last loo
days of the season instead of the first
iOo days as must be the case under
Wsevil conditions Therefore. max
ing 3. good crop of cotton in 100, days
lss NOT new thing to Mississippi far
mers-7t the new feature will be the
making of the crop the first part of
the season instead of the latter part.
at is a fact that the boil weevil
does not prevent the growing of good
crops OF, cotton. What he does is to
preEent and make, impossible the
making of a late crop of cotton. APP
pavently farmers perfectly familiar
With the growing of cotton could
adapt their affairs to the growing of
an early crop without any loss or
without any serious disturbance of
eepnomic conditions but such has
been the case with. those farmers
who have thus far had to meet wee
vii conditions. The great trouble
comes when the farms are first in
Tested with, the weevils and the far
mer persists in trying TO make a late
crop. Just as soon as farmers real
jze that they cannot grow a late crop.
but can grow good early crop, the
problem is solved. The object of
this bulletin is to put into the hands
will enable them to produce a good
early crop of cotton in weevil-in-
Tested areas.
Success depends essentially on
good tillage, proper fertilization, the
planting of good seed of a good early
variety of cotton as soon as weather
conditions are favorable, and, prop
erly cleaning up the farm of hiber-
mating places for the weevils during
the winter months.
Farmers cannot make greater
error than to think that an early crop
depends solely or mainly on early
planting. To plant cotton too early
will be a mistake. Early planting
should only mean to plant as soon as
the weather is right. AS early in
April as, the season Or weather will
permit will doubtless be good rule
for Mississippi.
Perhaps a good early crop depends
more on the very best tillage than
on any other one thing. 1t is impor-
sspt TO keep the crop growing con-
stantly, especially when the plants
are young, and it is the young plants /
that stand particularly in need of "a
soil, free from clods or Jumps of any
size. is what is wanted for a seed |
bed, butsit is far more important to
the young plants, and it is also hest
for older plants, and this makes plain +
what good tillage means.
Plow the land well some weeks be- T
fore planting time, in order that the T
rains may wet it thoroughly and to I
give ample time for narrowing the I
plowed soil until it is fine and firm. |
A deep soil is desirable, but deep |
blowing does not necessarily mean /
deep soil, if the soil be plowed six /
inches deep it may be regarded as
being we'll plowed, and no fixed re-
salt can be given as to how deep
TO plow various soils.
Any depth greater than six inches
may be regarded as deep plowing. l
have seen land that was plowed too
deep and ] have seen land that was
bot plowed deep enough, but / never /
saw land that had been narrowed too
much, though / have seen it harrow
ed and cross-harrowed five or six
times. An effort should be made to
harrow until the soil is In that con-
difion of tillage most preferred by
cultivated crops and more particular
Iy necessary for the best welfare OF
young and tender plants.
Inter-tillage or cultivation between
the rows of plants should have for its
object to keep the soil in the same
moist, mellow, fine condition given in
the preparation. This is why the
best prepared land in sometimes said
10 make the crop before 1t is planted.
Il the land is properly prepared shall
Iow tillage will keep it in the very
A HUMAN ENGINE
without rood fuel the 10th Century Limited