The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-04-14
Cotton Planting Under
Boil Weevil Conditions
Time and Methods of Planting
and Cultivation To Beat
The Boil Weevil.

Hiuly laIIleES dIe ASKING ABOUT ln0
time OF planting cotton under boil
weevil conditions. The answer to
this question, says Prof. G. p. Black
well OF the agrcnomy division, is that
the time OF planting which gave best
results in the previous years will
give best results under boil weevil
conditions. This best time for plant.
ing varies according to the season.
Cotton Is warm weather plant. 1t
will not make healthy growth until
the soil is reasonably warm and dan.
ger OF frost is past. 50 It is general.
ly best not to plant until the soil 10
warm. Then 1t Is we'll to plant in a
we'll prepared seed bed seed which
has been delinted with sulphuric
acid. This should give prompt and
uniform termination and should al
low the cotton to get started before
the weeds come. Cotton which Is
planted too early while the soil is yet
cold will not make q quick growth,
and tho weeds will have an opportun-
ity to begin growth at tho same time
the cotton does. thus making the
crop more difficult to cultivate and
frequently resulting in poorer
stand.
Methods Of Planting
In order for cotton to make a good
start the seed should not be planted
in direct contact with heavy applica-
tions of commercial fertilizer Where
heavy applications Of commercial fer
tilizer are made. some kind Of shovel
plow should he run through tho fur
row ahead Of the cotton planter to
mix the fertilizer thoroughly with the
soil before planting. If the cotton is
planted ir direct contact with the
fertilizer, there may be no injury II
heavy rains follow the planting and
prevent the concentration OF the soil
solution. But if dry weather follows
the planting, the soil solution be-
comes very concentrated and tho
young roots Of the plant are killed.
This may result in poor stand CT
cotton by killing off many Of the
young plants, or 1t may result In
stuntcd crop by delaying the carly
growth OF the plants. This has not
been such an important matter in the
past. as there has usually been a
long growing season and Hthe cotton
has had plenty OF time to mature.
Under boil woevl conditions, how
ever, it Is a matter OF prime import
ance, as earliness is very essential
to success in beating the boil weevil.
Cafcful attention to this point may
prevent serious loss.
Another factor in planting under
boil wecvil conditions which de-
serves careful consideration at this
time is the spacing Of plants at time
Of planting. BY planting de'inted
seed It is possible to drop the seed at
almost any interval desired, and by
planting several seed in each hill
good stand may be secured.
This makes It profitable to cult
vato cotton with a spikc-tooth har
row or row harrow at an early
date and to keep tho weeds down and
thereby save much labor and expense
in chopping.
Spacing
Farmers nave frequently boon ad
vlsnd to SPACE their cotton far apart
IN order that the sunlight may get in
between the plants and Kill the We
evils in tho squares which fall TO tho
ground early in the season. This
method Is reasonably successful In
tho western part OF tho Cotton Bolt
whers there are many long periods Of
dry hot weather during the carly sum
mcr months. But it IS not sue
cossful in South Carolina because
there are no long periods OF dry hot
weather There have boon many OK
periments TO determine the best spac-
ing OF cotton plants. but there are so
many factors entering into the con.
sidcration that it is impossible to
be best for all farms
Each farmer needs to study his
own conditions and use the spacing
which gives best results on his land.
The fcrtilitv Of the soil the amount
Of rainfall the kind OF cotton planted,
and the amount OF fertilizer used arc
all factors which should nc consider
O! in spacing cotton. As a general
rule. experiments have shown larger
yields from the relatively close spac-
ina. At the Pee Dee Fxperimant
Station best results have heen gotten
by planting in 4foot rows with plants
not more than ten to twelve inches
apart In the row This on a compGra
lively fertile soil. yielding about one
and enchalf bales por acre as an
average.
Cultivation
The primary object OF cultivation