The Dermott news., 1917-07-19
HELP MN III: WAY
 WITT YyUH COTION
Present Indications Are That 1917 Crop Will 4e No Better Than
 Crops of Two Previous Years.
By W. E. Ayres. University of ArNan-
 sas Experiment Station.

The world must have cotton. Dixie furnishes about 5 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 1915. 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- haasted before the 1917 crop is on the market Our country and our allies will in all probability demand thirteen and one-halt million bales from this country next year. There ls every reason to believe now that the crop can net. with best of care and favor able weather be a3e te reach this figure. and there surely is not the slightest chance of producing sur plus. The prices feg all products of the cotton plant will undoubtedly he satisfactory.
 Must Produce Maximum Crop.
 The present cotton crop has been late from the start. and has improved very slowly Is condition is now much below normal The boil weeyil has begun his work in many sections. and W III do his bit" 10 curtail produc ton l. is imperative, therefore. that Arkansas farmers use every known economical resource in stimulating growth aad bringing the per acre pro. duetion 10 the maximum. The South must well nieh clothe the soldiers and he civilian population of both this country and the Entente. in addi. tioa to supplying them with fibre for heh explosives for their armies and navios
 Why Arkansas Should Be Greatest
 Cotton State.
 Our stale 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 tBe supply Of potash salts which can no longer he obtained as are many of our sister states which have greater areas af Coastal Plains soils which are deficient in potash. In the second plaee our climate k such that a larger percentage of our heavy cotton producing areas is not vel suf- tieiently infested With boil weeHil To Curtail production materially.
 Shallow Cultivation Essential.
 Shallow cultivation often enough 10 keep down weeds and grass and pre-. serve mulch k always te be recon. merded. but t is essential 10 the na- tons welfare" this year. For the sake of economy of labor two horse cultvator should be used until the plants are too large. after which large Ferape-heel sweep behind short shovel is perhaps best for mulch ing and destroying undesirable vegota- tion
 Early Laying By Must Be Avoided.
 Early laying hy is especially to he avoided this summer Cotton is very late. and should be cultivated prop. crly until late into August. unless ihe plants are locking in the middles Grass and weeds in cotton mean loss III three Ndt N tli lNtA ItQNeh the yield by using plar' food and water which would otherwise he rscd bv the cotton plants; t2) they increase the cost Of picking hy becoming entancled with tee cotton. causiu- the hurrs 10 rot, and by hinderins in general the progress of the pickers. (3l cotton grown amongst weeds and grass al ways carries more tinges. stains and trash and has poorer general ap pearanee than cotton grown in prop erly cultivated field Such cotton Is eraded lower and is bought at lower price than that which k produced un- der more favorable conditions, The loss 10 the state from layins hy too early can reach five or six million dollars without receiving any partic- ular attention This leak in the profits bag" should he stopped.
 kEEp SEED FROM wEEvIlS