The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1920-09-16
Thick Cotton Spacing
Results in Bigger Crop

- ~. ~ PSI tnSHf W -AtsfI1uituIp TctuGE.J
A number of state experiment sta
tons are publishing the results Of tests
OH thick spacing of cotton as opposed
to the old system OF wide spacing. With
out exception, the experiments have
demonstrated the value of thick spac-
ing. or the single-stalk culture system.
that has been advocated by the United
States Department Of agriculture for
several years past. Some of the agri-
cultural journals are commenting on
the reports of experiment stations. and.
While they advise planters to adopt the
thick-spacing system, they believe that
the old systenIhas become SO thorough
ly established that its overthrow will
he difficult. That there may be a proper
understanding Of the scientific principle
on which the thick-method is based,
department specialists hive attempted
to make that clear in statement Just
issued
GROWS FRUITING BRANCHES ONLY.
Cotton produces more lint when it is
thick in rows than when it Is. thin iii
rows because of somewhat unusual
branching characteristic. The cotton
plant puts out two kinds of branches
short lateral branches that bear fruit
and long, heavy, vegetatiYe branches
that are, in effect, secondary stalks.
These yegetatiye branches finally put
out lateral fruit branches, but they
require a long season in which to do it
Under adverse conditions. such as
drought or boll-weevil infestation, they
do not produce cotton, because their
fruiting season is 50 late that the ad-
verse condition, whatever it may be,
illustrates 1t.
If cotton is sufficiently thick in the
row, the plants put out only fruiting
branches. There is no room for the
vegetative branches to grow. Therefore
mere plant growth Is restricted and the
vitality of the plant goes largely into
lint production. The result is that the
hollis are put out and mature much ear
Tier and more profusely than when the
plants are far apart, and boll-weeyil
duu OiOutsAs liJuiS ait AHlAlAlllACu.
Cotton persists in growing thick in
the row. no matter how sparsely the
original. plants may be spaced. Each
vegetative branch or secondary stalk is
essentially new stalk Of cotton. 1t
grows on the same root stalk, but it
takes up as much space, as much nlois-
ture, and as much Sbil nutrition as If
it We're a separate plant. Experiments
conducted several years by the Depart
ment of Agriculture showed that cotton
three feet apart is iii effect inst as close
together as cotton three inches apart
that is to say, when the cotton is spaced
three feet apart 1t puts out enuogh veg
etative branches or secondary stalks to
make the equivalent of one stalk. every
three inches. These secondary stalks
are at the disadvantage of being sew
eral weeks later than the original
stalks. and therefore cannot come into
hearing nearly SO early. This might not
reduce the yield during long growing
season. but where the boil weevil has
to be commended with the secondary
stalks rarely succeed In producing Tolls
and the entire yield IL confined to the
portion Of the plant Above the topmost
vegetative branches. 5.
YIELDS sFsowfE .y EXPERIMENTS.
When the plants are thick in the row
all the branches are fruitiIg branches
and the plant consequently produces
Hollis from bottom to top, More than
that. it produces them early and ma
lures them to such an extent that they
are practically holi-weeyil proof before
the boll-weevil infestation reaches the
danger stage.
Experiments made by the Depart
melt Of Agriculture some , time ago
showed that cotton plants three inches
apart produce great deal more lint
than plants three feet apart, and that
the same is true Of all intermediate
stages. III other words, the widest spac-
ing is the worst system. and any mar
rowing OF the spaces down to three
inches is IN improvement. Below that