The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1912-04-13
EARLY COTTON CROP
Absolutely Necessary for Maxi
mum Yield Of Staple.
Fertile Soil az Well as Thorough
Preparation, Rapid Fruiting Seed
and Intensive Shallow Cuitl-
walton Needed.

tBy @. II. Afford, Special Agent of the
Farmers Cooperative Demonstration
Work. jackson. Miss.)
1t 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
yil-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 we'll 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-Thoroughly 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 OF well in mass OF
clods.
Fifth-Plant early. rapid-fruiting,
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 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 a 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. II the land is well drained.
warm and quick-making. thoroughly
pulverized and fortified 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
half to a bale or more per acre. II
the land is Tate" 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.
1t takes fertile soil rs 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-
fly; second, to let the water escape
from the surface without running over
the ground and washing 1t of; third,
to permit the air to circulate freely
for 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.Stbe area from which plant
roots may obtain food.
The soil must be full of vegetable
matter to prevent 1t from packing
after heavy rains so that cultivators
may be used to the best advantage.
1t 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
Stable, the grass and trash and the
cotton stalks where the land Is CON-
parativeiy clear of roots and stumps
and where large plows and strong
teams can be had.
1t is advisable to fiat break the land
in the fall and early winter and then
bed 1t some time before planting
time. The beds should be disked or
narrowed just before planting the cot
ton seed, but 1t is seldom advisable to
re-bed the land Just before planting.
Cotton comes up quicker. grows of
faster and begins bearing sooner on a