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Show IRRIGATION OF COTTON CROP Much Depends Upon Conditions, Says Prof. Kyle Greatest Good Comes From Conserving Water. E. J. Kyle, dean of the school of agriculture ag-riculture of the Texas A. and M. college, col-lege, has received this inquiry: "How would a half-Inch of water applied by Bubirrigation to a cotton crop at the time It Is most In need of moisture benefit the crop and Increase the yield, the water to be applied directly at the root of the plant and covered with dry soil to stop evaporation, the estimate being two and one-half quarts of water, equal to one inch of rainfall?" rain-fall?" To this Mr. Kyle replies: It is Impossible Im-possible to say Just how much one-half Inch water would benefit cotton, so much depends upon conditions. For instance, If you would set aside two plots of one acre each planted in cotton cot-ton in an arid section where there was very little rainfall during the growing season, and on one of these acre plots apply one-half Inch of water wa-ter to the roots of the plants at the time they needed the moisture and on the other acre plot apply no water at all, the benefit would depend on when the next rainfall came. If the rainfall came within the next few days, the application would not be of nearly so much benefit as in case the drought should continue as it would be too late for the rain to do any good for the non-irrigated cotton. cot-ton. In that case the irrigated cot-' cot-' ton being able to hold up and con-i con-i tinue growing until the final rain came, might be benefited 100 per cent. I It is quite a frequent occurrence in this state for corn and cotton to be . reduced one-half or more In yield on r account of drought. Last spring we 1 had almost a failure in corn crop due to the lack of rainfall just as the corn , was in silk. In a case like that, if one-half inch of water could be applied ap-plied to the roots of the plants it could easily have resulted in a benefit I of 50 to 75 per cent., and in some " cases probably more than that. The greatest good from irrigation would come from applying the water under e the soil to the roots of the plants so e as to prevent as much evaporation as possible. I should judge that, a half-5 half-5 Inch applied in this way would be e worth about as much more than an Inch applied to the surface. ' e |