Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-12-02
QUESTION AND ANSWER DEPARTMENT
Some Interesting Facts About Cotton.

sible to grow a ton Of seed per acre, but
at present prices for lint and seed, no
one could afford to cultivate the lintless
cotton, and IL must be regarded for the
present as a freak type. Occasionally.
green cotton is met with. Some OF TINS
is frequently found in Russell's big boh
from which IL is supposed TO have been
derived as a sport. This green lint is
practically worthless, being very short
very soft and devoid OF tensile strength.
II is nothing more or less than freak
and should not be given serious consid-
Grafton on that account
From this brief description Of some
of the leading sorts of cotton which
have all been cultivated and observed in
the demonstration field during the past
year, 1t would appear that America pro-
duces in both the long and short staple
type a quality of fiber Infinitely supe-
ror, taken as a whole, to anything which
has yet been produced on a CONNER
cial scale elsewhere in the world. The
combination of conditions which favor
the production OF this superior type of
cotton are so familiar to all as TO need
no enumeration or comment at this time.
IL is well TO remember, however, that In
enjoying. as we do, virtual monopoly
in cotton production, we cannot a1ord
TO ignore what is being done in other
sections of the world, nor to sit idly
by and feel content with what has been
achieved up to the present time, as 1t
is clearly possible to improve the char
acter and quality of the American staple
TO the immense advantage of the citizens
not only of the south, but Of the entire
world as well.
Comparatively little attention has been
given to the systematic improvement Of
cotton. a matter which is greatly to be
deplored, for IL is one of the most inter-
esting of all plants to work. with, and
should be made the basis of a part of
the instruction offered i'm every agricul-
tural college and secondary school in
the south. II is a clean plant to work
with and is interesting in every stage Of
growth from the seed to the production
OF the boil and the ripening of the sta
Pile A clear understanding of the varia-
tions which occur in cotton and some
of the fundamental hereditary principles
involved in developing newer and better
types would bring joy and gladness in
to the hearts of millions of boys and
girls who live in the southland, though
this would be the least of the benefits
such knowledge would confer, as IL would
add millions upon millions to the revenue
OF the south and give greater perma-
nence and dominance than is even now
enjoyed In tne prouucllOh VI tue Hoei
most essential to the welfare of human
ity.
AT the present time there are innumer-
able so-called varieties of upland cotton,
but comparatively few of these have
any fixity of type. They have been
evolved by a haphazard system of selec-
ton. and probably some Of the best
fixed OF these may be regarded as mu-
tants or sports evolved in the great lab
oratory of nature of which process man
knows comparatively little as yet. OF
the numerous varieties now cultivated
only a few are worthy of the attention
of the American cotton planter. The
greater part should be discarded as
worthless, and the attempt now being
constantly made to put new varieties
on the market by those who think they
have found an exceptionally good plant
in their fields is to be deplored. 1t should