The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-25
RESULT OF EFFORTS
|. TO|MPROVE COTTON
Report Made on Expert
ments of 1911
NEW UPLAND COTTON
The Department of Agriculture Urges
Further Cooperation of Farmers
for Full Test of the Va
rious Varieties
NEW UPLAND COTTON

BY c. e. STEWART
washington, July 24-(SpeciaD-Th de-
partment of agriculture has just issued
an exhaustive report on the results of
the cotton experiments of 1911, which con-
tains many interesting facts relative to
investigations of the department tending
toward the improvement of the several
varieties of cotton grown in the United
States and the variety best adapted to
resist the attacks of the much dreaded
boil weevil
Under the head of Breeding New va
rieties of American Upland Cotton" the
report says:
Several of the varieties that have been
originated by this department and sent
out through the office of congressional
seed distribution are gaining in popular
appreciation and agricultural utility. The
distribution of seed is being continued in
order to permit more thorough testing and
more general adoption of the varieties
as far as they prove superior to other
sorts.
THE Columbia cotton, an early long
staple, originated several years ago in
South Carolina by DR.. Fl. j. Weber,
PAOfSo " w well dddpttQ " idI Sc al tdS
in the eastern part of the cotton belt. The
advance of the boil weevil has reduced
| the production of long staple upland cot
ton In Mississippi and Louisiana, result
ing in an acute demand for this type of
fiber. The action y state quarantine laws
against the Importation of cotton from
sections infested with the cotton boil
weevil and the high prices realized by
eastern growers of the Columbia variety
have stimulate d Inf i, riatxy 70
the extent that all the available supplies
of good seed have been exhausted for
some time. Special efforts are being made
to preserve the uniformity of this variety
by growing new supplies of seed under
conditions of isolation from other cotton
and by more effective cooperation in the
work of selection.
THE Lone Star variety, another selec-
ton from the Texas big boil type, is re-
ceiving wide distribution in Texas and
other weevil infested states and is giving
satisfactory results. If adequate pro-
vision can be made for maintaining the
uniformity of the stock by selection the
variety is likely to become as important
as the now famous Triumph cotton, or
perhaps even more So The two varieties
are quite similar, and under some condi-
tons are not easily distinguishable. In
other places the Lone Star shows distinct
element of superiority in the larger bolls,
longer lint. and especially in the greater
ability of the plants to maintain an erect
position instead of becoming PROSTATE,
as the Triumph cotton often does when it
makes luxuriant growth and fruits
abundantly. The Lone Star has less ten
dency than the Triumph to shorten the
lower fruiting branches.
zone of the chief factors in the i'm
provement of all agricultural industries,
the utilization of better varieties, is large
ly nullified by the failure of the cotton
growing public to understand and observe
the precautions that are needed to pre-
serve the uniformity of improved stocks.
The breeding of a superior variety of cot
ton represents an improvement of the
industry only to the extent that the stock
is preserved and continued in cultivation.
With selection neglected the uniformity
of a strain is soon lost, usually before It's
agricultural value can be realized and
even before it is brought into general Gull
tivation. Selection is quite as necessary
for the preservation of old varieties as
for the development of new ones. Such Sc
lection is quite distinct both in object and
method, from that employed by a breeder
in developing a new variety or in finding
superior individuals and comparing their
progenies. The modern school of biolo-
gists may be right in supposing that little
or nothing can be obtained In the way of
further Improvement after a definite va
rietal type has been separa ted.
Though it is of the highest Importance
with cotton to use select seed in order TO
secure good yields and uniform fiber, the
present system of seed production is al
together inadequate and entail annual
losses of enormous productions To say
that the average yield could be- increased
10 per cent and the quality improved a
H. - a.. -
are conservative estimates amply justified
by many experiments in different parts of
the cotton belt Yet If these factors could
be applied to the whole cotton industry
of the United States their annual value
would reach very large figure.
1.-The great bulk of the crop will continue
in the future as in the past to be grown
from seed raised on the same farm or at
least in the same community Moreover
all experiments have shown that proper
ly selected home grown seed is likely to
give better results than any newly import
ed stock, even of a superior variety The
production of local supplies of high grade
seed Is one of the fundamental objects of
community organization.
"a study has been made of the results
of sending out seed of improved varieties
of cotton through the office of congress
sional seed distribution to see whether
the usefulness of the system could be in
creased The custom has been to send
the seed out In one peck packages, with
the idea of enabling the farmer to plant
the new seed on field basis by the sec
ond or(third year. But there are several
reasons why much OF the seed Is wasted.
or at least falls to serve the intended
purpose.
MANY of the packages are not used for
planting, being sent to people who do not
grow cotton. Some of them go to farmers
who do not bother with such a small
quantity of seed. Many farmers plant
the improved seed by the side of other
cotton, or even mix 1t with their local va
riety before planting. with the idea that
the whole stock can be improved in this
way.
Very few farmers observe the precau-
tions necessary to avoid crossing with
other varieties in the field or mixing the
seed In the gin. To avoid admixture of
seed in the gin 1t is necessary to clean
the gin thoroughly This means extra
time and trouble that many farmers are
unwilling to- take. The purity of the new
stock is usually destroyed the first sea-
SON.
The report urges co-operatich Of the
farmers for the fun test of varieties of
cotton already experimental with by the
department to the end that the industry
may be greatly improved and the o mt
itself brought to a much higher state of
cultivation and consequently produce a
greater yield and of better quality.
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THE CEN MAKEC