Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-13
Improved Cotton Seed.
Nelo York Cotton.

The following communication from
one Of the most successful planters in
the South bears out the views on the
above subject that have found frequent
expression in our editorial columns:
The value of improved seed for plant
ing is not properly understood by the
majority of our farmers. I have no
doubt that the cotton crop of the South
ern States can be increased one-third by
the use of the best improved seed. A
farmer of my acquaintance planted, last
year, part of his field with improved
seed and the balance of the field was
planted with the common seed of the
country. In all other respects the condi-
tions were as near uniform as possible.
The part planted with improved seed
made a fraction over one hundred
per cent. more than that planted with
common seed. Another farmer IA near
neighbor) planted field with two varie-
ties of improved seed-conditions uni
form. The product of two rows of each
variety produced sixty pounds, two rows
of the other produced ninety pounds-a
difference of one-third in favor of the
best seed. During the last few years,
ndtO AAOW III a GOuSlQCIhUlC OIL
experiments with similar results.
1t is my opinion that three-fourths of
the farmers of the cotton States use the
common seed for planting, and that a
large majority of them pay five dollars
per acre for guano to increase the yield,
when the same or greater increase of
yield could be obtained by paying one
dollar per acre for improved seed. A
considerable number of farmers buy
improved seed, and, instead of selecting
their seed every year, as they should do,
they buy new supply every few years.
This is shameful waste of money, and
the only consolation is that it falls
into the hands Of enterprising men, by
whom it will be used in a way that will
probably promote the public good to
some extent. This is not quite so bad as
sending North for axe handles, but every
farmer ought to be ashamed to do so,
when he could so easily keep his seed as
good as they were when he got them,
and thus secure full crops every year.
The difference in favor of a crop from
selected seed is a hundredfold greater
than the cost of selected seed. The
hand that selects the seed will pick
nearly as much cotton in day as the
other hands, and if farmers could once
be induced to make the experiment and
observe the results for year or two,
they would take a great pleasure in ii
afterwards
A half bushel of seed is a bountiful
supply to plant an acre, if the work is
properly done with good seed drill. /
planted twenty-five acres last year with
nine bushels of seed, and got at least
fifteen stalks for every one | seeded.
Cotton grows off much better when it is
not crowded in the drill, and it can be
reduced to a stand with much less labor.
When bushel of seed is sown per acre,
the cotton is so much crowded that it is
materially injured before it can be
thinned to a stand, and full crop is
impossible under such circumstances
Proper care in opening the furroW in
which to plant, good barrel roller and
a good seed drill will insure the stand
with half bushel of seed per acre on
any land, on sandy land peck per acre
is abundant.
Having got somewhat off my subject,
| desire to call attention to the i'm
portance of leaving the best stalks
in reducing the cotton to stand.
This is not properly understood by many
farmers. have learned from nine years
close observation that the stalks that
take the lead at the start always make
the best stalks; and the difference is far
greater than most farmers suppose. Any
farmer who has his work done with
hired labor can satisfy himself of this by
going into his field and reducing one
row to stand, being very careful to
leave the best stalks / have no doubt
that crops produced by hired labor are
reduced one-fourth by leaving the infe
rior stalks.