The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-08-13
CHOOSING The VARIETY.

inches and strong; plant hardy, early, and
prolific.
CHOOSING The VARIETY.
Plant SEED, of a variety that produces
cotton as near the type you want as
possible. 1t wiz, not be exactly your
ideal, but if good Seed Of the right variety
it will come near it. Plant this seed on a
separate tract of land, or plat, so it will
not become mixed by insects. Every
farmer needs a seed plat just as much as
he needs well-bred male if he is going
to improve his stock. Thin and cultivate
this plat in the best. way
SELECTING THE SEED.
Let us go persoaally to the seed plat in
the fall with sack over our shoulder and
make selections. Here'is an ideal stalk
about three feet tall, loaded with choice
bolls
There will be more than g pound of lint
cotton on it at maturity. Around the
heart of the plant we select the best
bolls, rejecting the bolIs on the ends of
the limbs and near the top and few
that are so low Anearly to touch the
areund The tel s sad j. IS tend %
Tafef maturity and S91eys seeds N the Dollss
near the ground, absorb the moisture and
are not as vigords as they should be.
The next stak is not quite SO perfect, |
but it is pretty bod. and we take few
of the best DDS. On the next stalk are
four or five grea fine bosls. My man was
along with SAX and he was just about
to pick them; i1fact. his fingers had closed
over one. lie them alone" called out.
Look at that Salk; it never thought about
going into the otton business until 1t was
half grown. here is only about an eighth |
of pound of btton on it if all the bolls
mature That plant has some bad blood |
in it or is a blck sheep in good flock.
We do not wat to raise that kind
Then we passed several plants not very
good and notkery poor. Just few feet
along the rw / noticed two remarkably
fine bolls net the top of a stalk. Some
thing calledny attention away, and when
looked bad my man had them. Amt
they fine?'he remarked, and he gave
smile of satisfaction. Right" l replied,
IF you d not see the plant. They grow
too near tie top and will tend to make
our crop lie. If you are going to be so
particular we shan't get much cotton
seed, henswered, rather shortly. Bob,
replied,'I am through making these
auarter-oh-bale cotton crops. They say
that like reduces like. Now, that first
stalk of btton we picked had over
pound omit and if all the stalks on this
plat were lst like it we should get three
bales of ctton or more per acre. intend
to make ahree-bal crop, and | am 60
ing to commence by selecting the right
seed to ddt.
The neI plant was loaded with bolls,
but it didhot stand over Is inches high.
That isa perfect plant, | remarked,
"but wewill not take any b0ils from it.
1t is too hall Never select runt pig
for a PIE winner at a fair. If had an
acre of sch plants they would not hold
as nuchotton as want.
In thiIway we went over the two-acre
plat an6ecured 200 pounds Of seed cot
ton. lis was carefully stored and
ginned.
The rxt year there were three times as
many rtfect stalks in the field as the
preyiouIseason. In three years nearly
eyery ant was a model and we had a
| three-be crop.
In mixing selections never pick boil
for seeexcept from plant that is just
what vi want your crop to be next year.
You calnot buy such seed. RAISE IT.
ctNNC. AND CLEANING SEED COTTON.