Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-07-04
To Produce More Cotton
In a Shorter Period

securing protection against inirir,
from the boil wcevil. and In,
department has been recommcndin.
a system OF cotton culture which
aims TO secure the production @
more cotton III shorter period 81
time. The system is also important
Tor regions where the crop i,
limited by drought or bv short
seasons, as i'll the northern districts,
and should help to remedy the
backward state of what was con.
>idered i'll the past 4 sure-Crop
industry. The department :
Farmers Bulletin Go. 1913 ,
entitled 4 New System of Cotton
Culture and Its Application" has
been issued to give the details to
those who may profit by it.
The danger of INJURY from the
boil wccvil is greatest under con-
ditionS that favor the luxurIant
growth of the young plants and
induce the formation of large mum
hers of veEctativc 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 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
thc earber stages OF growth until
the stalks have grown beyond the
stage where vcgctativc branches
are produced.
1t i, particularly true OF the
cotton industry that the more
intelligent and skillful the farming
the larger the material rewards. 3
And vet, 60 ION has 81 N been
con>id rcd sure Crop";h It often
1t is cultivated under the NEST
careless methods This is ore of
the chief reasons for tie backward
state Of the industry to-day. The .
invasion OF the boil wccvil pest
has, however. been fcrCipg upon
cotton raiser the necessity of more
methods. Cotton is year every be-
coming les 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
attention of the intelligent farmer
and convince him of the truth of |
the principle upon which the new
system is founded. He may then {
observe and experiment for him I
self with rows of cotton thinned to 5
different distances and at different !
stages of growth and may see for {
himself the relation Of the habits r
lac plants TO cultural problems. '
Many intelligent farmers are 5
aware OF the fact that rows of
cotton accidently left without i
hinning are sometimes much +
more productive than rows that |
we're thinned i'll the usual manner {
md have reflected OH the possibility V
If Securing larger crops by closer c
but the underlying prin- v
iple has been understood. The d
'ehavior of cotton under different II
is so variable that any Il
arIner might well hesitate to adopt II
method of culture suggested by Ii
II occasional occurrence like the Ct
of large crop on an Il
nthinned row. p
In each cotton growing COM CT
luuity there are usually some
armers who believe that cotton b,
houtd be left closer together i'll d,
ne rows. but the tendency i'll e!
eceut years has been toward wider p
pacing, owing to a general re- III
IGNITION OF the evil effects of III
aving the plants to close together, re
specially under conditions that OF
NOR iuxuriant growth. Those who
Sc narrow spacing may boast of be
henomenal yields in some seasons, til
1T in other years they appear at a pl
with their neighbors. ar
he possibility of making a safe ia
IN, ~ >, a flor, Of the fwo conflicting 70