The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-01-27
EXTRA STAPLE COTTON.
The New Upland staple Varieties
Shall We Plant Them.

j. l.. Coker and Company, of Harts-
Vile. The farmers of Sumter Coun-
~ will find il OF interest:
During the past ten years five
new productive varieties Of cotton
with staple l is to 3-S inches i'm
length. have been bred in this State
from short staple cottons. These va
rieties are: Columbia, Webber, Kee-
nan. Goodson and Hartsville two
strains.) These cottons are all fully
as productive as the average short
staple variety, and some Of them are
apparently much more so.
In breeding my Hartsville variety
l have worked always with single
plants. selecting numerous plants of
good staple and production each year,
planting these in separate rows the
following year. selecting the best
plants from the best rows for further
breeding, and increasing the seed
from the most productive and longest
staple rows. i am now using the same
method on my Webber variety also.
This is called pedigree breeding and
Is the only method which has the en-
dorsement OF scientific breeders Of
plants and animals. In fact. it is the
only breeding method producing GER
tain and satisfactory results.
L am not yet informed of the ad-
aptability of these pedigreed cottons
to western conditions. but lin this
State all OF them have. i'm practically
every instance, made good yields
where planted, and the lint, where
properly handled, has brought pre-
MUM Of several cents pound over
short cotton. There is absolutely no
risk in planting them. so far as pro-
duction Is concerned, for il appears
that we would lose nothing. even if
we were sure the staple premiums
now prevalent would quickly vanish.
There Is at present, however, some
difficulty in marketing these cottons
in certain sections, and for the next
year or two this difficulty may in
crease. on account Of the large amount
'of this cotton which may be planted,
and the probabl. dearth Of trained
buyers. The farmer, however, can,
think. reasonably expect a staple
premium for several years to come.
IL he handles his cotton intelligently,
gins 1t carefully. keeping both seed
and lint absolutely free from short
varieties. and offers his cotton to we'll
trained and reputable staple buyers.
When offered by sample. a full sized
sample should be drawn from each
side Of every bale, the number and
mark OF each bale put on ticket be-
tween the two samples and each pair
~ samples wrapped separately. In
thin way the cotton can be accurately
graded and stapled.
IL possible. the picking should be
kept UP with closely, as there is
tremendous difference in value be-
tween low grades and high grades.
most unstable.
There Is no market for staple cot
ton in the same sense that there is
for short cotton, as there are often
wide differences In the ideas of buy
ers as to values. One buyer may
have an order for a certain grade and
length. and be able to pay several
cents more for that grade and
length. than another buyer who
is without orders for this particular
class Of cotton. 1t is not fair TO blame
Il buyer because he may be una'le to
use all lengths and grades at all
times.
1t Is necessary for the farmer to
understand all the problems Of culti-
waiting and marketing staple cotton in
order 10 handle this business intel
hgenty; and those who go into IL in
the haphazard, slip shod way will be
much disappointed in results.
All varieties of staple cotton vary
from year 10 year i'm length, according
90 the seasons. Last season 0910)
my Hartsville No. . made l 3-16 inch
staple on good lands, and l is inch
staple on light lands in this section.
IL made l Ia inch staple on the clay
soils of the Piedmont. This season
(l91D very little OF it in this section
has run over | is inch. and much
was only l LIE inch. CThe very late
planted cotton Of this variety has run
| 3-lG inch in some cases this sea
SOM