The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-14

year. The seed used 10 plant the general
crop OF the fourth year is that from
the seed patch Of the third year. grown
from the unsolicited plants of the second
year and thus the general crop of the
fourth year is derived directly from the
plant selected the first year. II is highly
important practice to select more than
| happened that very fine plant has poor
transmitting power.
In what may be termed a scientifi meth
Cd OF selecting cotton. the plants. which
have been carefully compared and mark
ed in the field, should be picked and
marked in the field. should be picked in
separate marked bags; the seed cotton
should then be taken 10 a convenient
room. very carefully compared with ref
erence TO ali important points. and accur-
ately graded. the values being entered
on record blank. After the total score
Of each plant is computed as comparf-
son is readily made The one having the
highest score should. OF course. be the
best plant. If the Judgment in each case.
has been carefully made. and this plant
should be selected and planted - next
year. as should also several othS "a the,
plants having the next highest scores.
The score card allows Judgment TO be
made on a single point al time. and
avoids the confusion which would result
from charging the mind with a mass OF
comparative data which IL would other
wise have TO retain and weigh. In care
fui breeding yeIther selection or hybrid
ization the writer would urge the adoption
as early as possible OF score card
which will enable comparative judgmen.
to be passed upon one character al
time
Great care should be used to insure that
the selection patch contains only good
plants true to the ideal tyre which 4, is
desired TO establish. For this reason IL IS
desirable to go over the field when the
first blossoms begin 10 open and weed oat
such Of the plants are as observed TO
possess undesirable character Of lateness.
sterility. or habit Of branching. When
the FIRST bons begin 70 open the plants
should all be carefully examined again.
and those showing unfavorable boil. lint
or seed characters pulled ZIP. II the
selection patch is IN an isolated conditions
as Il should be. this viii Insure that
all seed that set after the inferior plants
are pulled out will have been fortified
with pollen from at least fairly good
plant OF the same general type Thus TIE
eradication OF poor plants a. rapidly as
they can be discovered is cf the HIGHEST
importance where careful breeding expert.
ments are being conducted. In the cotton
breeding experiments that are being con
Quoted by the writer the selection fields
are examined from two 70 three four
Tires and the unsatisfactory plants elm
mated.
In all varieties II coitoa trrc is con-
siderable variation in the ~ the
staple produced BY dinoren- MS and
bv the selection % seed from n 81 Fianie
having the longest STAPLE. following ihf
methods described above the average
length can ho greatly increased Very re
nlarkahle results in increased length II
staple % Sea Is'Ard cotton have been
produced by the careful selection 70 which
it has been sub's-t-d. as described ~
the writer IA the YEARBOOK q the De-
partmetn II Agriculture FOR isss.
one OF The most 4 Ikiag instances Of
Improvement in both length and soun-
a1nce Of nbre that has come under the
writer's observation - selection %
stamrn Egyptlan cotton - Columbia. 9
c. The fev seed ~ This variety import
Cd had The lint attached % when taken
from The bon. and the average length Sas
only about one and oae-quarfsr inches
The plants ~ the arst generation 81 this
country were very ;aH sorne u them
reaching a height q eight feet. and very