The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1915-08-26
GIN MIXED COTTON SEED.
Unless Grower Takes Precautton,
He May Get Neighbor's Variety.

he May Get Neighbor's Variety.
Washington, Z C., August 25:-
Few cotton growers realize when
thew take back seed from an ordin-
ary gin to use in planting the next
crop, the extent to which their seed
may be mixed with the seed OF the
cotton ginned just previous to their
lot. Yet this matter is of vital i'm
portance to all cotton ralsers VINO
wish to grow a uniform variety of
cotton. AS every student pf cotton
breeding knows, even few seeds OF
another variety in cotton field may
through cross-fertilization cause In
terbreeding and deterioration IN a
large number of plants. Instead OF
getting only a few seeds from a
neighbor's lot of cotton. however,
actual Investigations by specialists
of the Department of Agriculture
show that in certain cases a lot OF
seed will contain as much as IA to l6
per cent of seed left in the gin boxes
from the cotton ginned just before.
In the cases investigated not only
has there been a large percentage
of seed from the variety ginned just
previously, but it is found that some
seeds may remain from the second
hale preceding. 1t follows, there
fore. that a grower may very readl-
" mix one or two other varieties
with his special kind of seed.
Where a grower is particular
about his seed, he can greatly mini
;nize the mixing by quick, simple
and inexpensive measures in which
the average ginner will be glad to
cooperate. The following precau-
tions, which seem to be entirely prac-
t;cable and which, in fact, are now
exercised in some localities, are rec
6mmended strongly in Department
Bulletin No 2SS, Custom Ginning as
q Factor in Cotton,Seed Deteriora-
ton, soon to be issued.
The patron should accompany to
the gin the lot of seed cotton from
which he expects to save seed for
planting. and he should aid the GIN
ner in seeing that everything possi-
BILE is done to prevent mixing.
He should see that the flues, feed
ers and cleaners are cleaned as thor
oughly as their construction will
permit before he allows his seed
cotton to enter them.
The roll should be dropped from
the roll box and the box should be
thoroughly cleaned. The dropping
of the roll is an operation with which
all ginners are familiar. The con-
struction of the gins is such that the
roll can be dropped and the box
cleaned in a very few minutes. Some
improved gins are arranged so that
the roll box may be emptied without
stopping the gin, thereby further
simplifying the operation.
Having cleaned the machinery up
to and including the roll lbox, the
next step is to prevent the seed OF
the variety to be ginned from falling
into the conveyor. 1t is Impractical
BILE to clean the conveyor satisfacto-
rily, and therefore it should not be
used when planting seed is to be ob.
tanned. By adjusting the position OF
the apron of each gin the seed cah
be MADE to fall upon the floor in
front of the gin instead of into the
conveyor. From here it can be sack
ed easily ii
The floors about the gins should
be cleaned to the extent that no
seeds are left lying around to cause
mixing. Canvas spread upon the
floor to receive the seed from the
gins is often used.
Such precautions require time in
which to carry them out effectively,
and time spent in this manner natu-
rally reduces somewhat the amount
of ginning that otherwise could be
done in day. On tnis point the GIN
ner may find cause to base objection
to such procedure, but it should be
possible to meet the objection by
fully compensating him for the ex-
ira time consumed. The expense OF
special ginning in some sections may
be reduced by arranging to have 1T
done on specified days or at the close
of the season, when more time is
available. In any event, the amount
of money that may be required to
secure the ginner's cooperation in
the maintenance of pure seed is al
most negligible in view of the favor
able effect such precautions will have
upon the farmers crops in succeed
ing years.