The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1909-02-18
How to Make a Crop of Cotton
Regardless of the Boil

CD The destruction of the weev-
lis in the fall by burning all rubbish
and material in and about the field
which might serve for Information
quarters of the weevils.
(2) Break (plow) the soil as deep
as condition will allow.
(3) The shallow winter cultiva-
ton of the soil.
(4) AS early planting as the sea-
son will allow with safety to the
crop.
(5) The planting of early-matur-
ing varieties of cotton.
co. The use of fertilizers.
Cd Leaving more space between
the rows, and on ordinary uplands
having greater distance between
plants in the row than is usually al
lowed. On rich or highly fertilized
lands it is better to crowd the plants
slightly in the rows.
(8) The use of the tooth harrow
before and after planting and on the
young cotton.
(o) Intensive shallow cultivatiolh
(Io) Agitation of tie stalks hy
means of brush attached 10 the SIN
gle-tre,s and to the cultiva'o;.
(II) Picking up and barainG the
sqtIaes raat iaR nm er wee,ii CON
ditionS, especially during, the first
thirty or forty days of infestation
(I2) Controlling the growth of
the plant, if excessive, by barring
off.
l13) Selecting the seed.
(14) The rotation of crops and the
use of legumes.
It will be noted that the system
as outlined has twofold object:
Cd To reduce the number of wee
wills and (2) to aid maturity in or
der to obtain crop in advance of
the weevil
The object of deep fall blowing
is mainly to increase the supply of !
plant food and the storage of mois-
ture i'll the soil. While this prepa-
ration is of great value on rolling
lands and nearly all fields so long
in cultivation that plant growth is
medium or less, there are some soils
that for the production of cotton
better not be deep fall broken, such
as very rich and moist river bot
toms, and the virgin black prairies
of Gulf States, for the evident rea-
son that there is too much plant
food for cotton already available in
the soil with abundant moisture;
conditions that make for an excess
i've growth of the cotton stalks and
a consequent decrease in fruitage,
even under ordinary conditions
When cotton boil weevils attacks
the plants, the punctured squares
soon fall and the plant takes on All
extraordinary growth.
Cotton plants which usually grow
four or over feet tall will shoot up
eight and ten feet and their lateral
branches will interlock across the
rows, forming ideal conditions for
the maturing of the weevils. 1t is
impossible to apply the cultural
methods under such conditions.
Where there is too much food
and a surplus of moisture available
for cotton in any soil, common sense
dictates that these conditions should
not be increased by deep blowing.
We therefore advise the follow
ing plan under boil weevil condi-
tions ON such lands:
(I) Burn all the cotton stalks and
the rubbish In and on the border of
the field as early in the fall as pos
sible. Tn the spring, bed on the
firm ground giving at least six feet
space between the rows. Prepare
a good seed before planting and
maintain ridge cultivation through |
the season.
The foregoing is especially for
lands where. under weevil condi-
tions, there is an excess of plant
growth.
(2) Follow instructions 8, S, 7,S,
6 and 10 on lowlands the same as
upon uplands
(sy Thin to stand as early as !