The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-11-04
SELECTING SEED FOR THE new CROPS

sIstant to root knot, and the depart.
ment believes by continued selection
of the most resistant plants, this quail
ity may be greatly improved.
Another thing to be avoided in the
selection of the seed is anthracnose,
E fungus disease of cotton which
causes the bolls to rot and some sea-
sons does a great deal OF damage, oc-
casionally as high as 80 per cent. OF
the bolls rotting off. All varieties
of cotton are more or less suscepu-
BILE to anthracnose. At present the
best way to control this disease is by
rotation of crops and by the use OF
resistant varieties through careful
seed selection. A plant badly affect-
ed by anthracnose should not be Sc
lected, even though it Is very resist
ant to wilt and is well fruited.
Fruitfulness should be carefully
considered In seed selection, with
view to increasing the yield per acre.
Where possible, the department adv1s-
es the selection of the most fruitful
stalks by comparison.
Get Early Varieties.
Earliness is another important point
in selection, especially In Southwest
Georgia, where it will be necessary
next year to meet the invasion of the
| cotton boil Weevil. Two ways are
suggested of securing an early resist
ant strain. First by crossing the wilt
! resistant strain with early varieties,
and second by selecting the earliest
plants from the resistant strains now
at hand. 1t is believed that the indi-
yidual selection of the earliest plants
will be the quickest and best method.
The department advises that no
stalk should be selected which yields
less than SO 1-3 per cent. Of lint. In
its own work it discards all stalks
that yield less than "a per cent of
| lint. The only satisfactory method OF
determining the quality OF lint yield
| ed by stalk is to gin each Stalk sep
| arately with hand gin.
Care should be taken also as to the
| type of plant chosen. The best stalks
| to select are those having long fruit
ing limbs close to the ground, and
| with joints close together. The fewer
large stalking branches plant has
the better, provided the fruiting
branches are more numerous.
In the matter of distribution and
ARRANGEMENT of fruit over the stalk
| it is best to select the plants that
have the most fruit on the lower part
because these begin fruiting earlier
Roguing is regarded as an import
ant practice in the selection of cot
ton seed. That is, where field is to
be used particularly for the selec
ton of seed, the diseased and stunted
stalks should be cut out about July
/ or August l, to prevent crossing
with the producing plants and there
by reducing their resistance.
Care in Ginning.
The next thing is proper ginning
The cotton selected for seed should
he ginned on a hand gin, II possible
This does away with danger OF adul
Iteration or mixture with diseased
seed. If the cotton is ginned on 6
public gin, all of the seed should b.
removed from the breast OF the cir
and other parts before the cotton II
run through, and the seed should b.
/ allowed to drop on the floor or on {
sheet; 1t should never be allowed t
run through the seed carrying auger
The work on the, wilt disease o
cotton. development Of resistan
strains and seed selection, has beer
in charge of Mr.. A. G. Lewis, assist
ant state entomologist, since 1905. Un
der his, direction there have been de
veloped a number of resistant hybrids
and this special seed has been fur
nished to farmers in many sections
of the state.
The State Board Of Entomology will
be glad to assist any farmer in max
ing individual seed selections. Wher
this assistance is desired, he shoul'
save few rows on portion of hi
field without picking it, and write tn
state entomologist requesting to hav
some one sent to assist in making tn
selections.
The State Board of Entomolog
owns a small gin operated by cleo
tricity, and viii take great pleasur
in ginning, free Of charge, small quar-
titles of seed that has been CAREFUL
selected. The seed cotton can b
sent by parcels post and the see
will be properly labeled and returned
Tonight.