The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1898-02-05
LIMsLESS COTTON.

Some time AGO The TINES pub
Iisbed a synopsis Of the report OF
the Georgia Experiment station
eoncering the jackson Limbless
Cotton. The report was the result
of a careful and unparalleled eN-
neriment with this cotton on the
grounds of the station, and fully
exposed the falsity of the claims
made for it. Not long since HE
TIMES received a caioling letter
from the proprietors OF the limb
less cotton, offering certain
quantity of the almost priceless
seed as an indueement for an adj
vertisement of It's excellence by
the paper. To say that The
TINES was not tempted by the pro-
posaI is unnecessary. The fact
that the so-called Hmbless cotton
has been shown up by the press
for what it is-a good article of
improved cotton already long
known to planters as Wellborn s
Pet-ought to5e sufficient to pro
tect intelligent farmers from It's
misrepresentation; but we learn
that the seeds have recently been
sold to many negroes and some
planters of high intelligence IN
this country at the absurd prices
claimed for them. If a planter
wishes to plant Welborn's Pe5,
alias Jackson Limbless cotton, well
and good; but he should not alIo"
himself to be fooled into paying
fabulous price for seed which are
worth little or nothing more than
those of any other good variety.
The Southern Farmer, OF New
Orleans. has also gone into a care
ful investigation of this cotton,
and publishes in a late issue a re,
cent bulletin of the Georgia EX
pertinent Station, which entirely
disproves the extrayagant claim
made for the limbless cotton anl
closes as follows:
So much space and attention
would not have been gwen To TIM
so-called jackson Limbiess' Cot
ton but for che fact that extra
ordinary efforts have been mad
and are still being made, to Sc
the seed at enormous prices to tn
unsuspecting, and sometimes cas-
" bumbugged. farmer. The d
rector freely admits that it is
fairly good varitv of cotton, an
is entitled to rank with the best i
point of productiyeness. Its merit
entitle it to consideration al
reasonable and Just price for tn
seed, which should not be mol
than $3.50 per busheI, so far 4
can now be Judged, Of equal to IL
prices charged for seed of otht
improved varieties. The clam
made by the promoters and e.
ploiters of this scheme are pr
posterously absurd and total u
supported Inv the results Of Il
carefully conducted tests made {
the station farm, asaboye detaile'
TO illustrate: 1t is called Linn
less, but most Of the stalks
the station test had two or mo-
limbs, and some of them six al
eight well developed limbs.
One in particular, which w
planted apart from the main ties
and with plenty of distance, hs
eight long and strong climbs,
branches. OF matured and ePe
bolrs the following is the statisti,
of that stalk:
Main stem. forty-fom bolIs; fir
branch, twelve bolls:secOnd branci
nineteen bolls: third branch, OF
boil: fourth branch, ten boil
fifth branch. eleven hollis; sixt
branch. thirteen bolls; seyent
branch. eleven bolls: and the eighr
branch, eight bolls. Grand tota
I29lol4s, of which there were {
the main stem forty-four, and {
the eight branches eighty-li.
bolls. But it will grow yerp Il
and without climbs" if close
crowded andany incipient brsnch
be promptly pnched or pulled o
and thus be consistent with
name-"LimbIess" But the 7
suits Of the experiment indica
that the ".Jacksonian idea, tn
this variety should be planted o.
stalk every three or four inch
in order to give the best result
is totally faIIacious. On the co
trarv. the director believes th
better results would be secured
a distance Of 3x4 or Xxi be give
provided of course the soil
rich. This would permit ea'
stalk to attain a full deyelopmen
including several and FRUIT
limbs.
Why send your jug orde
n -