The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-02-18
Cotton Cultivation.

With rich soil more space will be
required between the rows; with
thinner soil, less.
The general rule for spacing rows
Is hat the distance between the rows
shall be a little more than the height
of the cotton on the land in average
years. Where cotton usually grows
two or three feet high the rows
should be from three and one-half
to four feet apart. Where cotton nor
mally grows about three and one
half feet high plant in rows four feet
apart. Where it grows four or five
feet high, put the rows five feet apart.
1t is better to have the spaces be-
tween the rows a little tooswide than
too narrow. Air and sunlight are of
the greatest Importance in pushing
the crop to maturity.
On very fertile and strong lands
there should be q good distance be-
tween the cotton rows, but the plants
may be slightly crowded in the rows
with good results.
Plant eRrly-maturing varieties Of
cotton. Some large-boll varieties are
even better than the small-boll cot
tons under weevil conditions because
OF a thicker calyx, and consequently
the half-grown bolls are less likely
to be punctured by the weevil.
If fertilizers are used, the follow
ing general rule should govern: On
rich lands use mainly fertilizers that
will stimulate the fruit and not the
stalk growth. On lighter lands use
more of the elements to force growth,
combined with others which will ma
ture the fruit
High-grade fourteen per cent. acid
phosphate may be considered a basis
for increasing fruit and Fastening
maturity OF crops. Even on the rich
est land It has been demonstrated
that a small percentage Of nitrogen
added to the acid phosphate gives bet
ter results Mix three parts of acid
phosphate and one part of cottonseed
meal This we will call mo. l."
A mixture of one part of cottonseed
meal to two parts of high-grade acid
phosphate will greatly increase the
growing condition and will be better
for medium soils This we will call
~No. q"
Air-slaked lime is of value for use
on stin or gummy soils to loosen them
up, permit the air to enter, and pre-
vent a sour condition Of such soils
when too wet
On thin or Impoverished soils equal
quantities Of cottonseed meal and
acid phosphate can be used to advan-
tage. This is NO s."
In case the foregoing can not be
obtained, standard-grade commercial
fertilizers may be used. These should
contain in the mixture eight to ten
per" cent. of available phosphoric
acid, two to three per cent. of nitro
gen, and one and one-half to two per
cent. Of potash, or on some lands a
high-grade acid phosphate, fourteen
per cent, may be used.
On black, waxy land the best prac-
tice is to have the cotton follow a
crop of cowpeas.
Where lands are greatly worn by
years of cropping, more fertilizer
should be used to the acre, and il
should contain about equal parts of
eottonseed meal and h~igh-grade acid
phosphate. The beneficial effect of
commercial fertilizers depends large
ly upon the presence of humus in the
soil; hence the Importance of using
stable manure and blowing under
green crops.
In applying the foregoing instruc-
lions the farmer must use consider
able judgment and modify his prac-
tice where necessary to fit local con-
ditions.