Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1914-06-26
MORE COTTON
IN LESS TIME
Best Method TO Resist Invasion of
Boil Weevii and TO Improve the
Backward State of What Has Been
'Sure-Crop' Industry.

Washington, d. c., June 25.-The
ned of shortening the growing sea-
son of cotton has been recognized
as the best means for securing pro-
lection against injury from the boil
weevil. and the U. s. Department Of
Agriculture has been recommending
a system of cotton culture which
aims to secure the production of
omre cotton in shorter period of
time. The system is also important
for regions where the crop is limit
ed by drought or by short seasons
as in the northern districts and
should help to remedy the backward
state of what has been considered
in the past a "sure-crop" industry.
The Departments Farmers Bulletin
(No. 601), entitled "a New System
of Cotton Culture and It's Applica-
tion," 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 condi-
tions that favor the luxuritant
growth of the young plans, and in
duce the formation of large numbers
og vegetative branches, which pro-
duce 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 makes It possible 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 produced.
1t is true of the cotton industry
that the more skilful the farming
the larger the rewards. Cotton has
so long been considered a Sure
crop" that often 1t is cultivated un-
der careless methods. This is one
of the reasons for the backward
state of the industry. The invasion
of the boll-weevil pest has been
forcing upon cotton raisers the me-
cessity of improved methods. Cot
ton is every year becoming less a
4 ssssure-crop. The 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 re-
suits.
The first step is to secure the at
tention of the intelligent farmer and
convince him of the truth of the
principle upon which the new sys-
tenn is founded He may then OBJ
serve and experiment for himself
with rows of cotton thined to differ
ent distances and at different stages
of growth and may 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 cot
ton accidentally left without thin
ming are sometimes much more pro
ductive than rows that were thin
ned in the usual manner and have
reflected on the possibility of Sc
curing larger crops by closer plant
ing, but the underlying principle has
not been understood. The behavior
of cotton under different conditions
is so variable that any farmer might
well hesitate to adopt a method oi
culture suggested by an occasional
occurrence like the production of {
larger crop on an unthinned row.
In each cotton-growing communi
ty there are usually some farmers