Arizona republican., 1922-01-01

rigation after planting should be
given is possibly the trickest point
concerning Arizona Egyptian cotton
held too long, and then a copious
growing. When irrigation is with
drink is given, the resultant shock to
the plant causes serious shedding of
fruit and nothing has been gained.
When irrigations are frequent dur
ing the early stages of growth, the
result is a rank growth, with late
fruiting and a tendency toward a
dense underground which is serious
ly detrimental to the lower bolls as
the plant gets older. The safety
valve is the large amount of water
which might be stored in the soil inn
mediately before planting, for in such
a case the lower roots of the plant
often working in the third foot OF soil
long before the upper part of the
plant is nearly that high above the
ground, may still be getting enough
moisture to keep the plant healthy.
At this point the surface may be wet
with a light irritation, thus chang
ing the moisture condition from one
where part Of the root system is work
ing in quite dry soil and part in the
moist soil to condition where all the
root system is moistened. No Sc
rious consequences result, whereas If
the conditions were changed from
extremely dry to extremely moist, the
accompanying shock would cause Sc
rious shedding.
No suggestion has been made as
to the number of days after planting
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
greatly with the different soils and
may be said to average somewhere
from so to 80 days.
After the first irrigation after
planting the crop, 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 Ari-
zona Egyptian cotton plants at this
period.
The fruiting branches should be
| forced to elongate until five or six
! bolls are formed on each branch, pro-
vided that after the plants developed
three or four fruiting branches the
growing tip is not forced more than
four inches or so above the yellow OF
the highest blossom.
During the earlier years Of Arizona
Egyptian cotton culture in the Salt
River valley, it was very exceptional
| to find a field insufficiently' ir;iSar-
ed in midsummer. The last two sea-
so,,s. however, have shown a tend-
ercY on the part of q great mum her
| Of growers to under-irrigate during
| July and August. Even in these
months when the plant should be
| forced, 1t is easily possible to greats
ly over -irrigate, but it is just as det-
rimental to under irrigate. Flowers
should not be allowed to open on top
of the plant until at least late Au-
gust, and while the ideal condition
is almost impossible to describe, 1t
seems desirable that a warning be
issued against under-irrigation, and
that the practice should be to force
the growth Of cotton during July
and August as rapidly as the fruit
ing will keep up with the plan'
growth. Considering the normal very
rapid growth of Arizona Egyptian
cotton during July and August, thu
grower should be very careful tc
keep down excessive growth in the
earlier part of the season, so thai
wet fall will not see his field COW
cred with so rank vegetation as t
cause rotting of the lower boles.
When all the flowers have ap
, peared, which will normally open
, which is about a couple of month!
before the first killing frost of fall
: only enough water need be in th'