The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1923-05-17
FARM NOTES
OF INTEREST
Growing Cotton with the Bell
Wcevil.

Growing cotton profitably with
Ire bod weevil present means that
we must make this cotton do in 120
Bays or less what it has had $50
days or more to do without the
weevil. This means that we must
use carly maturing varities, fe1til-
re them we'll and push them to as
tapid fruiting as possible; also that
we must do all in our power to de-
iay the work of the weevil in the
earlier part of the year.
As we see it, one of the most
effective ways of controlling the
weavil is to destroy their alternating
quarters or to keep our cotton as
far away from his winter quarters
IS possible. In small fields these
Quarters surround the cotton on all
sides so closely that the first weevils
Chat come out of Information spread
ovcr the entire patch and begin
their destructive work at once. IN
large fields it is usually late before
weevils extend very far into the
cotton, and the first ones may be
controlled by picking or poisoning.
Therefore, one of the first things
done should be to plant the cotton in
the largest fields possible and to
use every effort to continually en-
large such fields by cutting out
scattered patches of woodland and
3y clearing up all ditch banks and
turning rows.
The early fruiting of cotton de-
pends not SO much on the date Of
planting as on the date at which
the cotton begins growing rapidly
with the presence Of warm days and
nights. We doubt if much can be
gained by planting earlier than we
have heretofore been doing. How
ever, preparation for planting
might be advanced SO as to be sure
to have all cotton land in the best,
condition for receiving the seed and
.he seed bed firm and ready TO in
Gace quick termination when the
seed are planted. If planted on a
oosc seed bed and rains do not
o4ne, these seed are apt to lie in
The ground indefinitely before ger
ninating, and have seen them do
his until well into the month of
August, when Of course it was too
ato foe the cotton to mature.
All fertilizers should be applied
oefore planting so as to be in the
ground ready for the cotton when
oeded. Even such soluble ferti-
.zer as nitrate of soda is not so
pt to be lost by teaching as was
,aac supposed. Quickly available
sinds Aof fertilizers should be used
and in sufficient quantities to fur
nish the plant what food it needs
i. all times during the growing and
fruiting season. Even lands which
before the coming of the weevil did
not respond to the use of fertilizers
ne being benefited now by them
because this fertilizer causes quick
growth and early development. The
.ich delta section Of our state is
finding that nitrate of soda gives
Increased yields because Of its ten
dency to make the cotton grow off
quickly and begin fruiting early.
In South Mississippi we believe
best average results may be had
from the applications of two to
three hundred pounds of acid phos-
phate and one to two hundred
pounds of nitrate of soda per acre
applied in the drill before planting
and on old land that 100 pounds of
lsainit should be added to this mix
sure. At McNeill, on new land, we
did not materially increase the
yields of cotton by the use of kainit.
But at Poplarville, on older land,
he addition of kainit to acid phos-
phate and nitrate of soda has mater
ALLY increased cotton yields.
As to varieties we should use
those cottons that fruit the earliest
and quickest. In tests made at
poplarville, Thrice has usually lead
over other kinds and as the seed Of
this cotton is comparatively plenti-
ful W have advised its use in
South Mississippi. The seven lead
ing cottons at Poplarville in 1922.
were two strains Of Trice, two Of
Lone Star, and three Of Delfos, all
being cottons that have been origi-
mated 81 improved by the Mississi-
ppt Experiment Stations. What ever
variety Is used, be sure to plant suf-
ficisnt seed to warrant . continuous
v&ss.I Rvnvn ono and of the row to