The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1911-02-09
IMPORTANCE or USING BETTER
COTTON SEED.

Prof A. H. Chapman, agricultural
list for the Cameron Agricultural col
lege, has just made public the follow
ing article. in which he deals with the
Importance OF using better seed, and
the attention OF our farmer readers is
specifically invited TO the article as
being Of no little importance to them.
The article Follows:
The time for plailsirg is fast APP
preaching. and desire to call the
farmers attention to the supreme i'm
portance Of using better seed. Next
to good tillage there "a no one factor
that Influences the yield and profits
OF the farm to such an extent as the
quality. purity and adaptability Of the
seed. We are all familiar with the
old adage ia stock breeding of Poor
parents. poor Offspring This is just
as true for plants as for animals.
IAN who arc familiar with the laws
or hercdilg know thar the only way
In which the offspring can excell the
parents Is BY variation However. We
also know that the tendency OF all off.
spring is to be like the parents and
that variations are the exception
rather than the rule. Since we have
these laws to guide as It Is very evil
dent that we cannot expect to secure
good crops from poorly bred, unset
lected seed. The prevailing custom of
getting cotton seed from the storage
warehouses; at the gins, for example,
is very poor one indeed. and cannot
but result IN lower yields than would
be secured from selected seed. The
same is true Of selecting the seed
corn from the crib at planting time
There are three principal ways by
which We can secure good seed. VIZ
Breeding them pn IN special breeding
plats, selecting the best stalks IN the
field and saving the seed from them.
and By buying seed from those who
have gone to the care OF improving
their varieties.
I'm the hands or a skilled breeder
the first method Is generally best.
However. Il requires for success more
technical knowledge than the average
farmer possesses and consequently its
practice Is left to few individuals
and to the experiment stations
but any one with common. good
Judgment and sufficient interest and
energy can select seed BY selecting
the best stalks or plants IN the field
Practically all Of our best farmers
now are practicing selection "a 4 Ger
tain extent. but il should be extended
further and every farmer whether
tenant or landlord, should practice a
rigid form Of seed selection
Selection. however can be accom-
plished only In the growing and har-
vesting season and since that il past
a behooves every farmer who ii now
aware that his seed are poorly bred
and mixed and run out to begin a
new era by purchasing good, pure
bred, well selected. well adapted seed
for his next crop. II not financially
able 10 purchase enough for the entire
crop, set enough for a few acres and
then next fall select seed from them
Notice that lay special stress on
securing seed wen adapted to our con
dluons. We labor under peculiar con
ditions here. Ours is a cosmopolitan /
population and climate that has
tendency TO be very dry. Most Of us
came from sections where the rainfall
was heavier, and we should not make
the mistake Of assuming that because
"a certain variety or corn Of cotton
succeeded well at home it will also
succeed well here. know Of a good
many failures traceable to this very
cause As an illustration Of this fact
! will give the results Of our variety /
tes with cotton on the school farm.
Out Of the eight tests we secured /
the following results
Ounce Boil, $40 pounds 10 acre: I'M
proved Rowden, $40 pounds per acre:
Mebane Triumps, Texas grown seed.
$50 pounds to acre; Mebane Triumph, I
saltwater grown seed, 500 pounds per
acre; Neeley's Selection, $50 pounds
per acre; Texas storm Proof. $50
pounds per acre Cooks Improved,
$40 pounds per acre, and RusselI's
Big Boil. Alabama grown seed, 27O
pounds per acre.
Now in certain sections Rpssells
Big Boil ranks among the best, but
here Mebane outyielded It by $40 /