The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1916-08-02

| sistant variety on heavily infested
| land. From year to year the cotton
| is thus rendered more resistant and
more productive.
Straight Selection Best
The department recommends straight
selection of seed in breeding rather
than the crossing Of varieties or n.y.
bridizing. 1t is believed this will pro-
duce the best and most satisfactory
results under ordinary conditions.
THE possibilities in breeding cotton
according to the latest approved meth
DDS are almost unlimited" says Mr..
McLendon. I'm the light of recent evil
dence in this work, it seems entirely
possible so to conduct the breeding
experiments with this crop as to
change the shape and size of the plant
and it's fruit, free or nearly rid it of
destructive diseases, increase or de-
crease its earliness and productive
ness, the length, strength and percen-
tage of its lint, purify the seed sam
! pie, and otherwise alter or improve all
the other Unbeatable characters of the
| plant.
THE problem of cotton improve
ment through breeding operations re-
solves itself into a strictly local prop
osition, if the best results are to be OBJ
tanned, as has been demonstrated time
and again in various experiments
conducted with Athis crop. The place
effect, or the combined effect of local
conditions, SO controls the behavior
Of theHcotton plant that nothing short
OF thorough knowledge Of the local
adaptability of certain variety or
strain of cotton can serve as an in
deX to its possibilities for improve
ment That is, each soil type with it's
attendant climatic conditions in the
state of Georgia, Will' carry a certain
variety Of cotton better than will any
other type of soil, and so on for the
different soil and climatic areas of the
state"
! 1t is further pointed out that while
in some sections big boil varieties pro-
duce the greatest yield, in others the
small boil varieties give the best re-
Suits from WhichSit is apparent how
unreasonable it is for the South Geor-
gia farmer to expect the best results
from seed bred in the northern part
of the state, and vice versa.
Department Will Help
While the process of seed breeding
is comparatively a simple one, it in
wolves many details which manifestly
cannot be given in the space of brief
article. The forthcoming bulletin will
present all of these details and will
be furnished free upon application to
any farmer in the state desiring it.
In the meantime, it is important that
cotton planters all over Georgia should
have the general idea of the seed
selection process right now when the
time is approaching for such selection
to be made. The farmer who has not.
ed the best variety adapted to his 10.
cality can begin his seed selection pro-
cess as the bolls ripen and open. Fer
this purpose, as already stated, he
should choose good, healthy, early
maturing plants which are unaffected
by wilt or other diseases.
The department is ready to lend ev.
cry possible assistance to the planter
in this work. 1t will furnish the
bags in which the seed should be
placed as gathered. This bag may be
tied directly to the stalk and the cot.
ton picked and put into it. The cot
ton should be picked as fast as ii
| OPOAc NhA OGNOAACo My IL Will uOt
damage In the bag in ordinary wealth
er. Just as soon as most of the de-
sirable bollS are open, the sacks
should be removed to some dry place
Cotton to be used for seed should not
be left In the bolls any length of time
as the seed are liable to damage very
rapidly.
When the cotton is all picked these
sacks can be sent to the State Board
Ct Entomology, State Capitol, Atlanta
Ga, or TO the chronological Expert
ment station at Townsville, Ga.
whore the seed will be ginned and the
per cent OF lint carefully calculated
The seed will be returned to the farm
er for planting with q table showina
the per cent OF lint from the Different
stalks. The department will also gin
samples at any time from different
progeny rows, and calculate the Del
cent OF lint In order to help the farm
or determine which Of his seed makes
the highest percentage.
Begin The Work Now.
II Is time now to decide upon the
variety and the spot in the field from
which the start for breeding is to be
made; and Just about the time the
cotton begins to open the real work
OF selection should begin. Selecting
a few superior early plants is the first
step, and this should be done before
any cotton is picked from the patch
where you are to make the selection
The seed should be separated from
the lint, preferably by a hand gin
and under no circumstances shoulC
there be any other seed remaining IL
it, The department has hand gins
for this use and for the benefit of any
farmer desiring its assistance In
breeding his seed
Speaking for the Board, State Ento
mologist E. Lee Worsham invites ant
urges all Georgia cotton planters t.
send to the department the seed they
have selected for ginning and calcula
ton of the per cent of lint In this
way beginning can be made now
and from year to year the farmers
Snpply of seed to meet bon weevi
conditions and resist disease, will bt
larger and larger until he ultimately
has enough to plant his entire crop.