Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-03-29

/ put into the planter. liza nitrate has
a tendency to cause the little cotton
to be vigorous and resist che bad eff.
fects of the cool nights better. 1t will
also generally pay to make a side APP
plication of nitrate just after the cot
ton has been thinned the first time.
The production Of an early crop Of
cotton is now absolutely necessary.
This being true, we must plant early,
rapid.fruiting, prolific cotton seed. We
must either buy such seed every year
or select seed from cotton plants with
| low fruit limbs and short joints on
the main stems and fruit limbs The
necessity for early, rapid-fruiting seed
has not been so apparent, but with
the coming Of the weevil we can hard
ly over-estimate the value of the ear
Hest and most prolific seed.
| 1t is advisable for the average farm
er to buy early, rapid-fruiting cotton
seed from some reputable breeder
and then use every known scientific
method of increasing the earliness
and productiveness of the cotton. The
variety tests at the experiment sta
lions name the earliest and most pro-
life varieties of cotton. We act very
] foolish when we buy cotton seed that
| the experiment stations have not
! shown to be the earliest and most
prolific by actual tests in the fields
| through a sufficient number of years
to eliminate weather conditions. We
should never buy seed because of high
sounding names or on account of exag-
| gerated statements.
| The object of early planting is to
| hasten the maturity of the crop The
weevils do not multiply until the
| squares begin to form. The weevils
destroy the entire crop before the last
of July. While 1t is necessary to plant
as early as the seasons will allow, do
not forget that cotton is a tropical
plant and will not grow until warm
weather.
| The use of the toothed harrow just
/ before planting and just before the
cotton plants are up to break the crust
and frequently during the early stages
of gr~wth to keep the soil loose will
cause tho little cotton to take on
rapid growth at once. The crop is
surprisingly advanced by the early
| judicious use of the harrow.
Begin cultivation and thin the cot
| ton as soon as possible. Give the cot
ton cultivation every week and always
after heavy rain in order to break
the soil crust and keep a soil mulch
on the ground. The essential thing in
| the cultivation of the crop is to keep
the ground free from grass and weeds
and covered with mulch. Harrows,
cultivators and heel sweeps arc the
| implements to use in cultivating the
| crop. A turning pillow is out OF place
| in a cotton field unless the soil Is de-
void OF humus and packs after heavy
| rains or unless it rains for two or
| three weeks and it becomes necessary
to bury grass. If the soil packs, espe-
cially early in the season. it may be
necessary to use the turning plow an
q necessary evil. If it becomes neces-
| sary to use the turning nik1kt0 loosen
| the soil or to clean out the crop late
in the season by all means avoid deep
| cultivation and especially deep cultiva-
! ton close to the cotton. Furthermore,
| be sure and use harrows or cu1tiva-
| tors few days after using tho turn
| ing plow to thoroughly pulverixe the
soil and make dust mulch If posi-
| BILE.
This frequent and shallow clltiya-
| ton with harrows and cultiyators
| should be continued until the cotton
begins to open. Most of the benefits
| of thorough preparation. early rapid
fruiting seed, early planting, and in
tensive shallow cultivation may be
lost unless the fields are given the ut
most attention until the cotton begins
| to open. Frequent and shallow Guilt
walton late in the season will not re-
suit in the death of many adult wee
wills. but it causes the cotton to re-
main green and continue to grow and
put on squares to furnish food for the
| weevils.
By all means avoid deep cultivation
late in the season, especially close to
the cotton. If the plows cut the side
| roots and cause the cotton to cease to
| put on squares or to shed the squares,
| the weevils will attack bolls which
would otherwise not be injured
Crate VS.. Loose Pen Feeding.