Arizona republican., 1920-02-20

to prevent too much growth than to encourage enough.
 The exact time when the first irri-
 gation after planting should be given
 is possibly the trickiest point concern
 ing Arizona Egyptian cotton grow ing. When irrigatio is withheld too long, and then a, copious drink is given, the resultant shock to the plant causes serious shedding of fruit and nothing has been gained.
 I Rank Growth and Late Crop | When irrigations are frequent during | is rank growth, with late fruiting and a tendency toward a dense under | growth, which is seriously detrimental to the lower bolls as the plant gets older. The safety valve is the large l amount of water which might be stored in the soil immediately before plant ing, for in such a case the lower roots of the plant, often working in the third foot of soil long before the upper part 1 CT the plant is nearly that high above l ground, may still be getting enough | moisture to keep the plant healthy. At this point the surface may be wet with light irrigation, thus changing the moisture condition from one where | part of the root system is working in quite dry soil and part in moist soil to a condition where all the root sys- tenn is moistened. No serious conse-
 
 ditions were changed from extremely dry to extremely moist, the accom- panying shock would cause serious shedding.
 No suggestion has been made as to l the number of days after plantin L until the crop is ready for the first irrigation, and, indeed none can be made. for the matter must be more | accurately determined than possible by the calendar. This period varies great l ly with different soils and may be said to average somewhere from so to 90 days.
 After the first irrigation after plant ing, the crop should be kept vigorous, | there being two rules to follow, both | of which together will not supplant the need for practical observation of the right type of Arizona Egyptian cotton plants at this period.
 The fruiting branches should be forced to elongate until five or six | bells are formed on each branch, pro- viGed that, after the plants developed three or four fruiting branches, the growing tip is not forced more than highest blossom. When all the flowers have appeared which will normally open, which is about a couple of months before the first killing frost Of faI only enough water need be in the soil to keep the plants from dry
 
 This article brazenly attempts to de- tai the main points about successful Arizona Egyptian cotton growing in few words, a thing manifestly impos- sIble. It is only to be hoped that some Of the suggestions offered may be of value in interesting the grower to seek further information and experience on the points mentioned. The subject of irrigation has hardly been touched. and much space has been consumed al- ready, but the article should not be closed without a word concerning branches.
 Lower Buds Form Suckers
 The lower seven or eight buds of the main stem of the plant, if they de- velOp at all will form vegetative branches, or suckers. These are dis tinct from fruiting branches in that they do not bear fruit, but bear fruiting branches, which in their turn carry the bo1ls. If they bear fruit, then they must be valuable. Far from it, for they are usually the biggest nuisance in the cotton field. They develop es- pecially on rank cotton, forming a dense undergrowth which during the latter part of the season so far pre- vents air drainage around the lower parts of the plants as to cause moidine of the lower bolls. Furthermore, in stead of really growing out as part or the plant, they are more nearly just stuck on and are easily broken off by winds or cultivating tools. If that is insufficient to condemn them, they must generally plead guilty to being very late with the development of their fruit.
 Since the fruit of vegetative branches is so late, why not grow yet more and earlier fruit on more plants per acre? This question has never been satisfac tOrily answered in any but exceptional cases except by close spacing, even closer than is the practice with the smaller-growing short staple varieties. The exact spacing which is most de- sired is again dependent on many con- ditions, but can usually be said to fall between 31a and f feet between rows and from to 14 inches between plants. Of course, when plants are crowded, the resultant growth of each is smaller than if given plenty of room. Con- sequently it is impossible to develop such a deep-root system, with the re- suit that more damage can be done if such a field is not irrigated inn mediately when it needs water. It may, | therefore, be said that the greatest | possibilities lie in fields with extreme | ly close spacing, hut that plants which | have more room are less likely to ex- | trcme damage when environmental | conditions are not good. Thinning of Arizona Egyptian cotton should be | done late, say when the plants are a | foot or so high. There is no good | reason why it should be done early, | and late thinning is an important fac | tor in the suppression of vegetative | branches.
 This article is but brief outline of | some of the main points of Arizona | Egyptian cotton growing. lengthy as it | may seem to be. but it has fallen short l of it's purpose if the cotton grower [ wEo attempts to derive good from it | fails to remember at all times that it is | the proper balance of all factors of | cotton growing which produces the | bumper crop. and that. regardless of | how perfectly his crop is handled in all respects save one, the chain is no | stronger than its weakest link.