The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1920-04-15
Cotton Planting Under
Boil Weeyl Conditions
Time and Methods of Planting
and Cultivation To Beat
The Boil Weevil.


this question, says Prof. C. P. Black
we'll Of the asronomy division, 10 that
the time Of planting which gave best
results in tho previous years will
give best results under boil weevil
conditions. Tho best time for plant
ing varies according to the season
Cotton Is . warm weather plant. It
will not mako q healthy growth until
the soil 10 reasonably warm and dan
ger OF frost 10 past. 80 Il 10 general.
iy best not to plant until the coil 10
warm. Then It Is weil to plant In .
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 como. Cotton which Is
planted too early while the soil is yet
cold will not make a quick growth,
and tho weeds will have an opportun-
ity to begin growth ut the same time
tho cotton does. thus making the
crop more difficult to cultivate and
frequently resulting In poorer
| stand.
| Methods o. Planting
In order for cotton to make good
start tho seed should not be planted
in direct contact with heavy applica-
tions Of commercial fertilizer. Where
heavy applications OF commercial fer
tiliKer are made, some kind Of shovel
plow should be run through the fur
row ahead Of the cotton planter to
L . <A,r -
soil before planting. II the cotton Is
/ planted in 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 II dry weather follows
tho planting, the soil solution be-
/ comes worry concentrated and the
young roots Of the plant are killed.
This may result in q poor stand OF
cotton by killing of many Of tho
] young plants. or It may result in a
! stunted crop by delaying the carly
growth OF tho plants. This has not
boon such an important matter in the
past, as there has usually been
long growing season and the cotton
has had plenty OF time to mature.
Under boil wesvil conditions. how
ever, It Ia q matter Of prime import
ance, as earliness Is very essential
to success in beating the boil waevil.
Careful attention to this point may
prevent serious loss.
Another factor In planting under
boil wesvil conditions which de-
eerves careful confederation at this
Ans 10 the spacing Of plants at time
Of planting. BY planting dsIintsd
sssd Il 10 possible TO drsp the seed at
almost any Interval desired, and by
plan4tns ssverh seed In eaoh hill .
Sssa stand may be secured.
This makes It profitable TO cult
vsts cotton with a spiketooth har-
rev or . row harrow at an early
date and to keep the weeds down and
thereby save much labor and expense
IA chopping.
| Farmers have frequently been ad-
v1sed to space their cotton far apart
in order that tho sunlight May get In
betwsen the plants and Kill the We
evils IN the squares which fall TO the
greuad early in the season. This
N ethod 10 reasonably successful IN
the western part OF the Cotton Belt.
whore thsre arc many long periods OF
DRY hot weather during the early sum
mer months But It Is not sue
sessful IN South Carolina because
thers arc NO long periods OF dry hot
weather. There have been many ex-
1srimsnts - determine the best spac-
ing Of cotton plants. but there are so
many factors entering into tho con-
sideration that II II impossible to
set q definite spacing which would
be best for all farms.
| Each farmer Heeds to study his
own conditions and use tho spacing
which gives best results On his land.
Tho fertility Of tho soil. tho amount
OF rainfall. the kind Of cotton planted.
and the amount of fertilizer used are
all factors which should be consider
o! in spacing cotton. As a general
rule. experiments have shown larger
yIeIds from, tho relatively close spac-
| ina. At tho Pee Dee Experimant
Station best results have been Cotton
by planting in 4.foot rows with plants
not more than ten to twelve inches
apart in tho row. This on = comp&ra-
lively fertile soil. yielding about one
and oae.half bales per acre as an
average.
| Cultivation
Tho primary object Of cultivation
Is 20 destroy weeds and grass. The
cultivation Of cotton under boll-we-
evil conditions should begin early
and should be thorough. Weeds
and grass should never be allowed to
get a start in the crop, since by so
doing they stunt the crop. and delay
its maturity. Tho delay may be IA.
tai. The best Implement TO use in
the cultivation Of cotton is the one
which will destroy weeds and grass
most effectively without injuring the
| roots ~ the cotton plants Just