The Parker post., 1913-11-22
CROP FOR PARKER.
Irrigation.


If the land is level and contains
the proper amount of moisture when
the seed is planted, and intensive
cultivation is practiced, the crop will
not require irrigation for six weeks or
two months after planting. At the
end of this time it should be given
a light furrow irrigation, followed by
cultivation as soon as the ground is
dry enough to work. In some instan-
ces one cultivation after irrigation
will be sufficient to mulch the sur
face thoroughly. If one cultivation
does not put the field in proper con-
dition, it should be gone over a sec
Ond time.
Under ordinary conditions it will
not be necessary to irrigate again
for three or four weeks, when the
field should be given another light If
rigation followed by thorough cultiva
tion. This should be sufficient ir
rigation to last until about July first.
However, it may be found necessary
to irrigate more frequently on new
land, owing to the fact that such
land will not retain it's moisture so
we'll as land that has been cultiva
ted before. In all probability it will
be necessary to irrigate new land
at least three times between the
time of planting and July first. Ger
tain classes of old land may also re-
quire an extra irrigation. Whiting of
some of the plants during early devel
opment is not conclusive evidence
that a general irrigation is needed.
1t is very important that irriga-
tion during the first part of the sea-
son be light in order to prevent too
rapid growth of the plants. If CIV
en- frequent and heavy irrigations the
plants will grow woody and they will
be apt to maintain this tendency
throughout the season at the ex-
pense of fruitfulness. The founda-
tion for minimum sized plants and
maximum productiveness will be laid
if only sufficient water is given the
plants during early development to
keep them in healthy growing condi-
tion.
Thinning.
Cotton should generally be thinn-
ed after the second irrigation and
cultivation, when the plants are be-.
tween 8 and IL inches high Cot
ton planted on land rich from pre-
vious crops of alfalfa where the rows
are 41a feet apart, should be thinn-
ed so as to have the plants from IA
to 16 inches apart in the row. On
new. land where rows are 31a feet
apart the plants should be thinned
to from to II inches apart, depend
ing upon the richness of the soil.
Generally the planter can contract
for the thinning or chopping at $1.00.
man fair wages. The thinning may
be done in one operation and for
many this will be the more practical
way. While thinning in one operation
or in two seems to have little direct
effect on the productiveness of the
single plant, still the yield of the
field may be increased by two thin
nings because a more uniform stand
will be guaranteed.
If the cotton is to be thinned twice
the plants may be thinned after the
first irrigation and cultivation to
to inches apart in the row. This
distance will give the remaining
plants room to grow and will insure
plants enough to replace those which
may be killed during cultivation and
irrigation. The final thinning may in
this case be left until the plants are
larger and stronger than where thin
ming is done in one operation.
In thinning it is of great import
ance that the planter should obtain
a uniform stand of plants properly
spaced in the row. For example. if
the soil is such as to require that
the plants be thinned to a distance
of II inches apart, it is highly i'm
portant that, as nearly as possible,
there be a plant every II inches in
the rows all over the field This is
important because it has a direct
bearing on the yield.
Cultivation should be carried on
as long as it is possible to get over
the rows Of plants. A riding culti-
vator which works both sides of the
row equipped with sweeps that just
cut under the surface gives the best
results with the least labor. The soil
should be ridged up about the plants
just high enough to leave a broad
shallow channel for the irrigating wa
ter to run in. Ordinarily the plants