The Newark journal., 1917-07-26
HELP Win THE WAR
WITH YOUR COTTON
Present Indications Are That 1917
Crop Will Be No Better Than
Crops of Two Previous Years.
By W. E. Ayres. University of Arkan-
sas Experiment Station.

The world must have cotton. Dixie
furnishes about 81 per cent Of the
worlds supply. The production of this
staple in the South was about 20 per
cent below normal in both 1915 and
/ 1916. Present indications are that the
1917 crop will be no better than the
crops of the previous two years. The
reserve supply will be practically ex-
/ hsusted before the 1917 crop is on the
market Our country and our allies
will in all probability demand thirteen
and one-half million bales from this
country next year. There is every
reason to believe now that the crop
can not, with best of care and favor
able weather, be made to reach this
figure, and there surely is not the
slightest chance of producing a sur
plus. The prices for all products of
the cotton plant will undoubtedly be
satisfactory.
Must Produce a Maximum Crop.
The present cotton crop has been
late from the start and has improved
very slowly It's condition is now
much below normal The boil weevil
has begun his work in many sections.
and will do his bit" to curtail produc
! ton. It IS imperative, therefore, that
! Arkansas farmers use every known
! economical resource In stimulating
growth and bringing the per acre pro-
duetion to the maximum. The South
must well nigh clothe the soldiers
and the civilian population of both
this country and the Entente, in addi-
ton to supplying them with fibre for
high explosives for their armies and
navies.
Why Arkansas Should Be Greatest
Cotton State.
Our state can, for two reasons, help
more in making good the shortage
than can the average Southern state.
In the first place, we are not so de-
pendent upon the supply of potash
salts which can no longer be obtained
as are many of our sister states which
have greater areas of Coastal Plains
soils which are deficient in potash. In
the second place, our climate is such
that a larger percentage of our heavy
cotton producing areas is not yet suf
fieiently infested with boil weevil to
curtail production materially
Shallow Cultivation Essential.
Shallow cultivation often enough to
keep down weeds and grass and pre-
serve a mulch is always to be recon-
mended, but it is Essential to the ma
TONS welfare" this year For the
sake of economy of labor a two-horse
cultivator should be used until the
plants are too large, after which a
large serape-heel sweep-.behind a
short shovel is perhaps best for mulch
ing and destroying undesirable vegeta-
ton.
Early Laying BY Must Be Avoided.
Early laying by is especially to be
avoided this summer Cotton is very
late and should be cultivated prop
crly until late into August, unless the
plants are locking in the middles.
Grass and weeds in cotton mean loss
In three ways: ID They reduce the
yield by using plant food and water
which would otherwise be used by the
cotton plants; (2) they increase the
cost of picking by becoming entangled
with tee cotton, causing the burrs to
rot, and by hindering In general the
progress of the pickers: CD cotton
grown amongst weeds and grass al
ways carries more tinges, stains and
trash and has a poorer general ap-
pearance than cotton grown in a prop
erly cultivated field. Such cotton Is
graded lower and is bought at a lower
price than that which is produced I'M
der more favorable conditions. The
loss to the state from laying by too
early can reach FIVE or six million
dollars without receiving any partic.
ufar attention. This leak in the
profits bag" should be stopped. .