It has been many years since I had anything to do with cotton farming,
but from recent press reports, it appears as if there has been little
change. If one has 1,000 acres or so available to plant, there are a
number of government and chemical/seed industry programs where grants can
be obtained. You can get paid to NOT plant, or you can get paid to plant
a particular variety. you can have part (or even all) the cost of
fertilizers and pesticides paid by others.
Seven foot tall cotton can only be grown if you are in an area of
exceptionally good rainfall or you irrigate heavily. And it cannot be
done even on the most fertile soil year after year of mono-cropping
without heavy, off farm, nutrient inputs; fertilizers. There are cotton
hybrids that grow seven or eight feet without excessive vegetative
growth (leaves and unproductive stems). They are easily harvested with
the correct machinery. `Course, I guess you would scoff at doing it the
old fashioned way, but I have heard there are still places where cotton
is harvested by hand. But I do not have any recent, personal experience
with that.
As for cheap lime: I can get it for $10 a ton...delivered. I call
that essentially free.
--Dan in Sunny Puerto Rico--
DAN.WORLEY@JUNO.COM or
dan_worley@compuserve.com
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