The Nevada County picayune., 1916-06-01
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB WORK
No. 6. Primary Rules Of Cotton
 Growing.

Sro"inq.
 By W. c. Lassetter Assistant Director
 of Extension, University of Arkan-
 sas. and U. s. Department of Agri-
 culture, Cooperating.
 Cotton responds more readily, more percepibly and more profitably 10 a little good treatment than any other farm crop. It will seemingly do bet ter under adverse conditions than any other crop. Never year comes but that some money can be made from cotton. But since the crop responds so readily to good treatment, there is no reason for requiring that it grow without attention. Yield of cotton per acre can be materially increased through attention to variety to be grown, the preparation of the land. fertilization and cultivation
 More than 300 varieties of cotton are being grown in the South. and these vary widely in their ability 10 yield. In tests conducted by the Ar kansas Experiment Station the aver age of the better varieties showed an increased return of from twelve to fifteen dollars per acre as compared with the average of the poorer yarie- ties Repeated tests conducted by the Experiment Station show that for ay- craze conditions the Mebane Fri umph, Cleveland Rig Boil, Trice, Rub lee, Simpkins and King are reliable kn pt n1n of ial per acre.
 All cotton seed To be used for planting should be tested for germi- nation before planting. Use for this two plates and a piece of absorbent cotton cloth as outlined for various farm seed tests Do not use seed for planting purposes that show less than 70 per cent germiration.
 If the soil Is 10 produce good eottOe 1t must be well prepared All land for cotton should be broken in the fall or in the very carly spring. goine one inch deeper than at the lsst breaking.
 We'll drained land should not be bedded. Very poorly drained land probably should be bedded Do your bedding at least three or four week , ahead of planting time.
 If land has been broken in the fail or early spring, begin to double dis fl about three or four weeks befola planting time. then harrow each week until ready for planting. This repea, ~l hay crops of srass and weeds as fast a. they come up and will leave the lam much freer of weed seeds and vii. make the crop easier to work. Wher. land is hedded harrow the tops Of th, beds well before planting Try j# work the beds dow in such way thtI when the seed are covered they wi be about on an average with Inc SUI face of the land
 Fertilizers AppN ten tons Ocr good loads of harnNard manure am 300 pounds ot Is per cent acid phos phate per acre broadcast and disk (. harrow it immediately. In the even. you can secure only three or rve ton. of manure. lay of the rows with g. rood, large shovel blow and distribute The manure and the acid phosphate in the furrows Follow with bull tongue and eight or teE-inch he, sweep run in the bottom Of the tlu row to mix the fertiliring material, with the sou. Beu on this and Allo>. 10 settle for two weeks it po.sibl, before planting
 If barnysrd manure is not aNsilshls you may substitute commercial ferU ixers Fer just average soils thol- oughly mix 250 pounds cotton see. meal and 25o pounds Is per cent aci phosphate Apply in the drill prey ous to beddins For good soils mi 100 pounds cotton seed meal ana %G pound. acid phosphate On rich soil apply 800 pounds acid phosphate.
 Plant cotton as soon aS the So ' begins to warm up. Never use a planter that drops only one seed a place It is much better to plan m rows from three and half 10 nv. feet apart and in htIls from r. 10 ? inches apart. putting from etGht to ] seed to hill
 BeIin to cultivate with the scctoH harrow before the cotton comes @ After that chop out and cultivate Nit. An implement that will not run mol than three inches deep Practice sha low cultivation two lo two and & hal inches continuously Cultivate afte every rain as soon ss the soil will q, to work. and in case of dry weathel cultivate every ten days Contipu until the cotton begins to show sign cf maturity or until the plants are g. large that the cotton cannot be work cd without seriously breaking then Then SOW crimson clover for winte. p&sture and to build up the land