The Prescott daily news., 1912-05-14
EARLY COTTON CROP
Absolutely Necessary for Maxi.
 mum Yield of Staple.
Fertile Soil as Well as Thorough Preparation, Rapid Fruiting Seed and Intensive Shallow Cuitl-
 VatIon Needed.


 Work, Jackson, Miss-)
 It is not only necessary to reduce the number of weevils to the minimum in order to grow maximum crops of cotton. but is also absolutely neces- sary to grow an early crop of cotton. A late crop of cotton Is for the wee vil--not for the farmer
 The production of an early crop of cotton is accomplished as follows:
 First-Cut the cotton acreage to five or six acres to the mile so that cultural methods may be closely fol- lowed.
 Second-Plant only well drained, warm, Quick-making land In cotton.
 Third-Where the soil responds to commercial fertilizers apply from 300 to 500 pounds per acre to hasten maturity and increase the yield.
 Fourth-Thorough pulverize the soil before planting. Work the soil until it is like an ash heap for three or four inches deep. Little cotton cannot grow off well tn a mass of clods.
 Fifth-Plant early. rapidfruiting, prolific cotton seed.
 Sixth-Plant as early as the sea- sons will allow in rows just about as wide apart as the cotton usually grows tall in average seasons.
 Seventh-Commence to work the little cotton just as soon as possible and never permit a crust to form or the field to become grassy.
 The majority of the over-wintered weevils are probably out of winter quarters before the time the cotton begins to set squares. A race that means much and race that is watch, ed by all the world then begins. The cotton runs the race of its life to set squares faster than the weevils can multiply and puncture the squares. The weevils take advantage of every opportunity to increase their num- bers. If the land is well drained, warm and quick-making. thoroughly pulvertzed and fertilized with from 300 to 500 pounds per acre, the seed an early, rapid-fruiting, prolific varie- ty, the crop given intensive shallow cultivation until the cotton begins to open, the cotton will go out under the wire far In the lead with from one the land Is Hate" and broken into clods, very little fertilizer applied, the seed a late, slow-making variety, the cultivation slow and deep, the weevils will soon destroy all the squares and then destroy all the bolls.
 It takes fertile soil as well as thor ough preparation, rapid-fruiting seed and intensive shallow cultivation to make good crops of cotton. The soil should be well drained, full of humus and contain plenty of plant food in an available form. The soil should be deep for the following reasons: First, to increase the water holding capac- ity; second, to let the water escape from the surface without running over the ground and washing it off; third. to permit the air to circulate freely for a considerable depth in the soil fourth, to secure crops against drouth by enabling the cotton roots to go down to perpetual moisture; fifth, to increase the area from which plant roots may obtain food
 The soil must be full of vegetable matter to prevent it from packing after heavy rains so that cultivators may be used to the best advantage. It must be full of vegetable matter to increase the storage capacity for wa ter and thereby enable it to hold enough water to carry the cotton crop through the longest drouth in the summer through heavily fertilized. If the soil is devoid of vegetable matter and as a result does not hold enough water, the cotton crop will stop grow ing and putting on squares during a long drouth and shed the fruit already on the stalks
 The soil may be put in the proper condition for cotton by practicing a suitable rotation of crops, including leguminous crops. and by turning un- der the corn stalks, the oat and pea stabble, the grass and trash and the cotton stalks where the land is com paratively clear of roots and stumps and where large blows and strong teams can be had
 It is advisable to fiat break the land in the fall and early winter and then bed it some time before planting time. The beds should be disked or narrowed just before planting the cot ton seed, but it is seldom advisable to re-bed. the land just before planting. Cotton comes up quicker, grows off