A four-year experiment was conducted during the 1998-2001 growing seasons at the Tidewater Agricultural Experiment station, Suffolk, Virginia to characterize the cotton fruiting curve as affected by nitrogen fertilization using two cultivars. Early and mid-season cultivars, SG 747 and STV 474, respectively were planted at the earliest possible dates. Both cultivars were grown with 70 lb. N/acre, the standard recommended rate in Virginia, and 90 lb. N/acre, a value found to provide higher yields in recent tests. The higher rate was applied as a split application of 35 and 45 lb. N/acre at pinhead square and at first flower for the 70 lb N/acre and the 90 lb N/acre rates, respectively. The growth regulator Mepequat Chloride was applied as needed. The physiological progress of the crop was monitored using the COTMAN cotton mapping system and compared to the Target Development Curve (TDC). COTMAN crop monitoring records included: basic measurements of SQUAREMAN such as plant height, main-stem nodes, first fruiting branch, squaring nodes and percent square retention. Records of major phenological stages: PHS, FF and NAWF=5 were recorded. In 2000, the growth and development of the early maturing cultivar SG747 was affected by N fertilization. Seventy days after planting, the N treatments tracked the target development curve (TDC) much more closely than the untreated control. The untreated control treatment showed slow nodal development, lower apogee and premature cutout. In 2001, the effect of N fertilization on the growth and development of the early maturing cultivar SG 747 was not evident. Generally, the growth curve in 2001 showed a slow nodal development followed by a much lower apogee compared with the 2000 growing season.