The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-08-26
SEED SELECTION IMPORTANT,
DIR. KNAPP MAKES INTERESTING
REPORT TO SECRETARY WILSON.
Planting and Harvesting of Cotton
and Corn In the Southern States
Fully Covered by Department of
Agriculture Expert, who Is Well
Known In South Carolina,

Knapp, Of the department of agri-
culture. who is well known in South
Carolina in connection with his farm
demonstration work, has just made
an interesting report to Secretary Will
son on the subject Of seed selection
for Southern farmers. The report
covers fully the subject Of planting
and harvesting both Of cotton and
corn. and will prove very valuable to
those persons interested in agricul-
tural pursuits.
"For the amount Of labor involved
no work upon the farm pays better
than seed selection" DR.. Knapp says.
"Within a seed is the minute germ
that has all characteristics Of the pre-
ceding generations Of that species,
with the notifications which previ-
Gus culture, soil, climate and selec-
ton have given 1t, and these 1t trans
mits to the future plants. In addi-
ton, the seed contains a little food
to help the germ until it can get es-
tab'ished in the soil.
while the types In seed are per-
sistent along general lines. within
these limits they admit Of great mod
ification by selection and cultiva-
ton. In cotton the size Of the boil,
the length and quality Of lint, the
time Of maturity, the tendency to
abundant fruitage. the height and
form Of stalks and other plant char
acteristics may be modified at the
will Of the farmer.
when a farmer buys a high-grade
seed at a large price he is simply pay
ing another man for using his brain
to do what he can do just as well
II he will.
Improvement OF Cotton by Seed Sc
lection.
Careless cotton farming and GIN
run seed are responsible for lot of
short cotton crops. There is but lit
tie pure-bfed seed planted, and the
product Of that little generally be-
comes more or less mixed In the field
and at the sin.
"Five points should be carefully no.
ted In cotton seed improvement:
Type. variety. selection. ginning and
storing. A farmer should determine
the type Of cotton he wants to pro.
dnce. He can in the end produce
what he wants to II he studies and
works for 1t. BY type is meant the
kind Of stalks. boil, lint, etc. The
type generally preferred is strong
short, vigorous stalk. with plenty OF
fruit limbs on the lower half: fruit
limbs short -jointed but extending to
the outer border Of the plant and
fruiting to the end: large bolls. storm
resisting: a heavy percentage of line;
staple at least 1-s inches and strong;
plant hardy. early and prolific.
Choosing the Variety.
PLANT seed OF q variety that pro-
duces cotton as near the type you
want as possible. 1t will not be ex-
actly your ideal but II good seed and
Of the right variety it will come near
1t. Plant this seed on separate
tract Of land, or plat 50 1t will not be-
come mixed by insects. Every far
mer needs a seed plat just as much
as NE needs well bred male II he
isfgoing to improve his stock. Thin
and cultivate this plat In the best
way. Let US go personally to the
seed plat In the fall with the sack
over our shoulder and make selections.
feet tall loaded with choice bolls.
There will be mre than q pound of
lint cotton on 1t at maturity. Around
the heart Of the plant We select the
best bolls. rejecting the bolls on the
ends Of the limbs and near the tops
and few that are so low as to near
ly touch the ground. The top and
end bolls tend to later maturity and
the seeds in bolls too near the ground
absorb the moisture and are not as
vigorous as they should be.
THE next stalk Is not quite so per-
'ect but is pretty good, and we take
few Of the best bolls. On the next
stalk are four or five great, fine bolls.
My man was along with a sack and
was Just about to pick them; in fact,
his fingers had closed over one. Let
them alone I called out, look at that
stalk; 1t never thought about going
into the cotton business until 1t was
half grown. There Is only about an
eighth Of a pound Of cotton on II
II all the bolls mature. The plant
has some bad blood In 1t or Is a black
ShQQn In unnd aool, WY.