THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER
Thursday, April 22, 1909.
i
i
Things to Observe in Planting. Cotton.
Have a Firm, Well-Drained Seed Bed, Cover the Seed Very
Lightly Firm the Earth Well About Them, and Plant Only
When the Soil Has Been Well Warmed.
By R. L. Bennett.
I ETTING and keeping a per
fect stand of early cotton is
generally regarded as more or
less of an uncertainty. The principles
involved in planting are generally
disregarded, when if they were fol
lowed as a guide, better success and
profit would be made in cotton grow
ing. The cost of planting and cultivat
ing the crop is the same whether the
stand be perfect or imperfect. Both
kinds of a stand occupy the same
amount of land, and as cotton is
grown only on stalks, the question
of getting and keeping perfect stands
is of great importance in making a
profitable crop. -The principles in
volved indicate so clearly the proper
practices that the question of a stand
is really one of certainty rather than
one of uncertainty.
The Seed.
The seed contains the youg plant
and its food. The latter is in the two
seed leaves and sustains the young
plant until it grows large enough
to obtain its food supply from the
soil. The food supply in the leaves
is intended for the growth of the
plant and not for use of the plant in
forcing a way through either hard or
soft covering of deep earth. Where
a diversion of this essential food sup
ply is caused by deep covering of the
seed, the growth and strength of the
plants are affected to a corresponding
extent.
Don't Make the- Young Plant Do
Needless Work.
The stem of the young plant comes
out of the seed hull with a bend, near
the two leaves, and this bend of the
stem goes upward in an effort to
bring the leaves above the surface of
the soil where they may unfold to
the sunlight. The bent stem and the
two folded leaves present a consider
able surface against the resisting sioil
covering, which, if thick and dry and
crusted, is difficult for the growing
plants to break and force their way
through. It is common to see young
plants lifting up a heavy crust of
hard soil, or to see them straining in
an effort to bring up the leaves
through the soil. Frequently a rain
occurs and settles the soil around the
partly unfolded leaves, thus prevent
ing them from ever freeing them
selves. .The usual remedy for this
trouble is to plant a very large quan
tity of seed, believing that the com
bined strength of the many young
plants may force a way out of the
soil. This remedy, however, only
partially cures, and brings on other
troubles worse than the first.
Air, Warmth and Moisture Necessary
- Seed, in germinating, require air,
moisture and warmth. The warmth
of the soil is particularly variable
and limited in the early season, and
only the top soil is warmed by the
limited heat of the sun. Deep cover
ing of the seed at such a time places
them deeper than the soil is warmed,
and germination is either delayed or
destroyed.
Sufficient air in the soil for germi
nation may be excluded by too much
water in the soil surrounding the
seed. This occurs when the seed
bed is very loose and open, as in a
freshly prepared bed. A loose, open
soil holds water like a sponge and
air is excluded from the seed. Hence
seed dan ted 2 to 4 inches deep fail
to germinate if a saturating rain oc
curs just after planting.
A nroDer seed bed is one that has
been nreDared and firmed, settled by
rains before the time arrives for
planting. A firm bed drains prompt
ly, particularly near the srarace, ana
no part remains saturated with
water to the exclusion of air. It is,
therefore, warmer and drier, especi
ally at the surface, than i a loose,
fresh bed. and moreover, a ;f$rtn bed
prevents the proper kind of planter
from running deeper than a regulated
depth.
soil covering the seed and to press
the seed in contact with the firm un-der-soil,
which is moist; and supplies
moisture to the seed for germination.
a "sled" or "sword" opener to tne
planter does not. tear up and loosen
the soil that will surround the seea.
This type of opener makes 3 clean,
narrow trench for receiving the seed.
The question may arise j as to
whether such shallow planted seea
will germinate without rain.) They
will germinate If planted eariy or
following a rain. There is generally
more moisture in the soil early in the
season than later in tne season. cut
if no rain falls, a heavy roller run
the beds will start germination
Extra early planting should never
be practiced. A normal date In late
spTing years should be the date of
planting every year.
The Proper Depth to Plant ,
The nroper depth of planting is
less than an inch, the seed j scarcely
covered, and when thus planted none
of the food supply in the young seed
leaves is required in forcing the way
through the covering, and, further
more, the seed are in the warmest
and driest part of the soil. They get
DroDer warmth, air and moisture to
germinate them properly and they
come strong and vigorous and sur
vive any unfavorable weather.
Cotton frequently dies after com
ing up when the weather Is cold and
wet. This dying is caused by the
plants exhausting themselves in com
ing through a deep covering. Young
cotton coming from seed planted as
recommended also escapes serious
"damping off," or "sore shin," an af
fection that seriously injures plants
that come from deeply covered seed
Every cotton grower knows how
well seed germinate and grow that
fall on top of the soil in filling the
planter.
Firm the Soil Well About the Seed.
'i
The manner of planting suggested
by these factors is important if the
principles involved are to be carried
out successfully. j
First, the surface of the seed bed
must be clean of all trash and free
of clods. The soil must be in a fine
state. Trash of any kind interferes
with the running of the planter and
the shallow covering of the' seed. A
coarse, cloddy soil permits evapora
tion of water from the soil below the
seed and dries away the j moisture
before the seed can germinate. The
planter should have a roller behind,
in order to sustain the planter at a
proper depth, also to firm the shallow
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9Q0 of Inquiries from The Progressive Farmer
"Raleigh, N. C, April 16, 1909.
" Progressive Farmer, Raleigh , N C.
" Gbntxemen : Please state in your next paper to the cotton farmers
and readers of The Progressive Farmer that I have no more seed to offer
this season, having sold out. 1
"I thank them very kindly for the liberal patronage they have given
me, and feel sure the results will be such that I shall merit same next
season.
. 4 1 must heartily recommend advertising in The Progressive Farmer,
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"Yours very truly. W. A. SIMPKINS,"
Originator Simpkin's Prolific Cotton.
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