Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1915-04-21
GROWING THE COTTON CROP.

What of the chances for profitable
returns from this years cotton crop?
In answering this question we are
concerned with three important prob.
lems-fnance, marketing and produc.
ton. Our large business interests
have concerned themselves in the
problems OF financing and marketing
the cotton IN the farmers hands, In
new way, one that does great credit
and gives renewed confidence in the
breadth OF judgment of big bust
ness" and does honor to their patriot
ism. Every farmer is looking forward
to new and better business custom
of handling cotton.
While these problems are being
considered we farmers should not
forget nor neglect to give even closer
attention to the necessity OF making
better showing IN the production
of cotton. Our average production IS
about one-thlrd OF bale. This Is far
below what any farmers will admit
that II should be.
We have agreed to reduce and have
reduced the cotton acreage. Let us
strive then to increase the average
acreage yield to at least half bale.
This is certainly wise. The move
ment to reduce the cotton acreage is
not so much a program for reducing
the total production Of cotton as 1t is
to produce more feedstuif at home.
II is recalled that long before our
finances were disturbed by European
wars. Col Henry Exall of the Texas
Industrial Congress Joined with the
Corn Growers Association in preach
ing Let Texas Feed Itself" He did
not advocate the quitting of cotton,
( but he did urge and convinced all
who heard his prophetic pleadings
that Il was a poor business policy TO
continue growing cotton in order TO
buy Northern grown feedstuffs.
Col. Exall saw how the dominance
of cotton in our system Of farming
made reform in cotton financing and
cotton marketing a problem Of the
future. He realized that cotton is
the Souths heritage only when we
grow enough of other crops to be in
dependent OF its domination lie
pleaded not for more cotton, but for
more profitable cotton crop.
The South will continue to grow
cotton and therefore It is important
that we strive to make good yields.
As a general rule it may be stated
that poor yielding seed, careless
planting and sighted cultivation re-
suit in low yields and financial loss.
while good yielding seed, careful
planting and frequent and intelligent
cultivation are associated with good
Yields and profitable returns.
No ordinary reduction in expenses
or reasonable advances in price. can
overcome the losses due to low Yields.
High acreage yields for cotton and
all other crops was Col. Exall's dream
In his compelling way he urged with
emphasis the three essentials Of good
crops:
l. Good, freshly improved seed OF
good varieties.
2. Well prepared land before plant
ing.
3. Intelligent cultivation to con
serve moisture and make plant food
available.
Cotton planting time is here. What
then of the seed? For any section
there are few good and many poor
varieties. Every farmer will admit
that good varieties OF cotton seed do
exist and that such seeds are avail
able, but in the face Of this fact the
great bulk of the Nations cotton crop
is each year planted to mo variety
but 'just cotton seed
| have before me the result of an
accurate test of the yielding qualities
of 90 different variety samples OF well
bred srains of cotton seed. From the
most part these seed came from real
or pretended cotton seed breeders and
in most cases from the originators OF
the varieties.
The highest yield made was 1,ii6
pounds per acre, and the lowest yield
97i pounds, showing a difference in
yield of AS pounds per acre due to
lust seed alone. Such figures show
how strikingly important is the ques'
ton of seed.
Seed under the same variety name
will often differ greatly in their yield
ing qualities. In the test referred to
above there were two samples Of Me-
bane Triumph seed-a variety largely
planted all over the cotton belt. These
two samples we're from we'll recog'
nized and bona fde seed breeders,
yet they differed in yields by 1853
pounds per acre. | mention these
figures to Justify the suggestion that