Times-promoter., 1907-07-05
FARMER AND
PLANTER
GREATER GAIN IN PROFITS.
Ten Per Cent Bigger Yield From
Heavy Cotton Seed.

The same principle of selection
which induces the progressive planter
to reject the small and imperfect
grains on the nub ends of his ears of
seed corn argues for similar process
of elimination in case of the cotton
seed he uses for planting. 1t Is now
too late to apply the principle for
this years crop, but while the sub
ject of cotton planting Is fresh in
the minds of our readers, 1t is good
time to consider the matter with a
view to its adoption next spring. Sc
lection of the best plants followed by
elimination of the faulty seed from
their yield will give the most perfect
cottonseed to be had from any partic-
ular variety. An account of some in
teresting experiments was published
a few days ago in the Charleston
Is. c. News and Courier, from which
we make the following extracts:
In order to determine what advan-
tage would be gained by separating
the light and inferior seeds and plant
ing only the heaviest and best devel-
.oped ones, careful tests were made
in 1906 at Lamar, S. c, In co-opera-
ton with Mr.. G. l.. Reynolds, and at
Hartsville, S. c., on the farm of ]. L.
Coker & Co. These tests were made
under the direction of the United
States department of agriculture by
Messrs. Herbert ]. Weber and E. B.
Boykin, specialists in charge of plant
breeding Investigations.
For the test at Lamar quantity
of Hawkins seed was separated and
the heavy seeds and the unseparated
seeds of this variety were planted IN
alternate rows on about two acres OF
land, /. e., approximately one acre OF
each. There were 20 rows of each
kind, and the resultant yields are
given as follows: Heavy, 20 rows, total
yield 170,4A pounds; unseparated, 20
rows, 944A pounds.
In this test the yield resulting from
the heavy seed was 1870 pounds, or
10.9 per cent more than the yield from
the unseparated seeu.
For the test at Hartsville quantity
of Jones improved seed, which was
grown on the Coker farm at Hartsville
in 1905, and selected for planting in
1906, was separated, and about an
acre of land was planted with the
heavy seed and the same area with
the unseparated seed, the two kinds
being planted in alternate rows over
the entire area. There were fourteen
rows of each kind and the yields are
shown as follows: Heavy, IA rows,
total yield, 1,164B pounds; unsepa-
rated, IA rows, total yield, 1,O75B
pounds.
AS shown in the test at Hartsville,
the heavy seed yielded SSA pounds of
seed cotton, or 825 per cent more
than that of unseparated seed.
Thus it is seen that in both of these
tests, which were accurately conduct
ed under actual field conditions, there
was substantial difference in favor
of the heavy seed. If the seed cotton
is rated at 4 cents pound, the differ
ences in the yields obtained at Lamar
and Hartsville are approximately
equivalent to $4.12 and $3.55 per acre,
respectively. At first thought this
perhaps appears to be a very small
difference, yet 1t must be remembered
that only very small outlay is in
yolved in getting this additional yield.
1t is estimated that the cost OF separa-
tion need not cost 10 cents bushel.
In fact, on most farms the regular
laborers have sufficient spare time to
do the work without any additional ex-
pense, so that practically the only ex-
pense involved is the cost Of picking
the extra quantity of cotton which is
produced. In the case of both the
tests the separation resulted in q net
profit Of more than SO per acre after
deducting the necessary amount for
all extra expenses. The increase in
the yield on the two tests averaged
only about 10 per cent, but in view
of the fact that this increase does not
involve corresponding increase In
expenses the profits on the crop are
Increased by much greater percent
age. For instance, If the profit on an
acre of land is $40 under ordinary
conditions, the net increase by sepa-
ration is more than 80 per cent or
the profit obtained without the separa-
tion.
In the examination Of cotton in the
field it is almost impossible to recog-
nize differences in yield unless such
differences are very extreme. In
neither of the tests conducted by the
writers at Lamar and Hartsville could
the superiority in yield of the rows
hn clrlly