This article will refer to narrow row cotton only as that currently being grown in 75 cm rows (30"). The older system of high density stripper cotton will not be discussed.The great theoretical advantage of narrow rows is to reduce early season competition between plants, giving potential earliness and yield advantages. This is achieved by maintaining the same sowing rate while decreasing row space. All results of high density and narrow row experiments show clearly that plant competition at the squaring and flowering phases reduce fruit retention and boll size, particularly of early bolls. The theoretical yield and maturity advantages of narrow rows depend on good retention of lower fruit.