The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-09-06
SEED FOR PLANTING.
TlIE, SELECTION OF COTTON AND
CORN SEED FOR SOUTHERN
FARMS.
United States Department of AericuI-
turc-l'urcau Of Plant Industry,
Farmers Cooperative Demonstra-
ton Work.

For the amount of labor involved
no work upon the farm pays better
than seed selection. Within a seed is
the minute germ that has all the
characteristics Of the preceding gen.
erations of that species, with the
| modification which the previous cul-
ture, soil, climate, and selection have
given it, and these it transmits to the
future plants. In addition, become
established in the soil.
While the types in seed are per-
sistent along general lines, within
their limits they admit Of great modi-
fication by selection and cultivation.
In cotton the size of the boil, the
length and quality of lint the time
of maturity, the tendecy to abundant
fruitage, the height and form Of
stalks land other plant characteris-
tics may be modified at the will of
the farmer.
When a farmer buys high grade
seed at large price he is simply
paying another man for using his
brain to do what he can do Just a.
we'll if he will.
improvement of Cotton by Seed Sc
lection.
Careless cotton farming and gin
run seed are responsible for a lot Of
short cotton crops. There is but lit
tie pure-bred seed planted, and the
product of that little generaly be-
comes more or less mixed in the field
| and at the gin.
Five points should be carefully
noted in cotton-seed improvement:
1. Type, variety, selection, GIN
| ming, and storing. A farmer should
determine the type Of cotton he wants
to produce. He can in the end pro-
duce what he wants if he studies and
works for it, BY type" is meant the
kind of stalks, boll lint, etc. The
type generally preferred is a 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
if,f lx,t. ;e
least 1 is inches and strong; plant
hardy. early, and prolific.
Choosing the Variety.
Plant seed Of variety that pro-
duces cotton as near the type you
want as possible. 1t will not be ex-
actly your ideal. but if good seed and
/ of the right variety it will come
near it. Plant this seed on a sep
arate 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 a well-bre6 male
| If he is going to improve his stock.
Thin and cultivate this plat in the
best way.
Selecting The Seed.
Let us go personally 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 a pound Of lint cotton
on 1t at maturity Around the heart
Of the plant we select the best bolls,
rejecting the bolls on the ell Is Of the
limbs and near the top anG a few
that are so low as nearly to touch
the ground. The top and end bolls
tend to later maturity and the seeds
in the bolis too near the ground alb
sorb the moisture and are not as
vigorous as they should be.
The next stalk is not quite so per-
feet, but it 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
'oNiN ehho lie was just ABOUT 10 PICK
them; in fact his fingers had closed
over one. Let them alone"
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 pound Of cotton on it if all the
bolls mature. That plant has some
bad blood in it or is a black sheep in
good flock. We do not want TO
raise that kind"
Then We passed several plants not
very good and not very poor. Just
a few feet along the row | noticed
two remarkably fine bolls near the
top OF stalk. Something called