The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-06-23
GROW MORE COTTON IN SHORTER TIME
Best Method to Resist Boil Weevl Invasion and Improve
Backward State of What Has Been Sure-Crop Industry

Backward State of What T
WASHINGTON, D. C.-The neeC
of shortening the growing season o
cotton has been recognized as the
best means for securing protection
against injury from the boil weevil
and the United States department Of
agriculture has been recommending
a system of cotton culture which
aims to secure the production of more
cotton in a shorter period. The sys-
tenn is also important for regions
where the crop is limited by drouth
or by short seasons as in the north
ern districts, and should help to rem
ely the backward state of what has
been considered in the past a "sure
crop industry. The departments
farmers bulletin, No. COL, entitled
"A New System of Cotton Culture
and It's Application, has been issued
to give the details to those who may
profit by it.
The danger Of injury from the boil
weevil is greatest under conditions
that favor the luxriant growth of the
young plants and induce the forma-
ton of large numbers of yegetative
branches, which produce no bolls.
The control of the formation of these
branches is the keynote of the new
system The suppression of these
branches avoids injurious crowding
of the plants and also make it posi-
BILE to leave more plants in the rows
than is now customary. The most
important consideration which the
new system requires is the placing Of
plants closer together during the
earlier stages of growth, until the
stalks have grown beyond the stage
where vegetative branches are pro-
duced.
Rewards for Intelligent Farming.
1t is particularly true of the cotton
industry that the more intelligent and
skillful the farming, the larger the
material rewards. And yet cotton has
so long been considered "sure crop
that often it is cultivated under the
most careless methods. This is one
of the chief reasons for the backward
state of the industry today. The in
vasion of the boil weevil pest has,
however. been forcing upon cotton
raisers the necessity of more i'm
proved methods. Cotton is every year
becoming less a sure crop The
rapid expansion of cotton culture in
foreign countries is an additional
reason why more careful methods
must be adopted in this country to
attain the maximum results.
The first step is to secure the at
tention of the intelligent farmer and
convince him of the truth of the prin-
ciple upon which the new system is
founded. He may then observe and
experiment for himself with rows OF
cotton thinned to different distances
and at different stages of growth and
NAV see for himself the relation OF
the habits of the plants to cultural
problems.
Many intelligent farmers are aware
of the fact that rows of cotton acct
dentalIy left without thinning are
sometimes much more productive
than rows that were thinned in the
usual manner and have reflected on
the possibility of securing larger
crops by closer planting, but the un'
deriving principle has not been un-
derstood. The behavior of cotton Un'
der different conditions is so VARIABLE
that any farmer might well hesitate
to adoDt a method of culture sue'
gested bv an occasional occurrence
like the production OF a larger crol
on an unthinned row.
In e3cl COlLOu SlO Al = No-AA
there are usually some farmers VIII.
believe that cotton should be LET
closer together in the rows. but tn(
tendency in recent years has beer
toward wider spacing. owning .
general recognition of the evil effects
of having the plants too close TO-
gether, especially under conditions
that favor luxuriant growth. Those
who use narrow spacing may boas
of phenomenal yields in some seasons
but in other years they appear at
disadvantage with their neighbors
The possibility Of making safe com
bination Of the two conflicting meth
DDS seems not to have been suggest
ed. The same conflict is shown Il
the results of formal experiments t.
determine the best planting distance
as in the popular opinions on the sub
iect. Wide spacing in the row
seemed better in some cases and mar