The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1916-08-02

land. Prom year 10 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 by.
/ bridizing. Il il believed this will pro
duee the best and most satisfactory
/ results under ordinary conditions.
The possibilities In breeding cotton
according 10 the latest approved meth
! DDS are almost unlimited" says Mr.
I AcLendon. In the light OF recent evi-
dence IN THIS work, IL seems entirely
| possible 90 70 conduct the breeding
I experiments with this crop as 10
change the shape and size Of the plant
and its fruit, free or nearly nd it Of
destructive diseases, increase OF de
crease its esriiness and productive
ness, the length, strength and percen-
tage u 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 strictly local prop
| osition. IL the best results are 10 be OBJ
tanned. as has been demonstrated time
and again in various experiments
conducted with this crop. The place
effect. or the combined effect Of local
conditions, 80 controls the behavior
Of the cotton plant that nothing short
Of thorough knowledge OF the local
adaptability Of a certain variety OF
strain Of cotton can serve as an in
dex TO its possibilities for improve
menl That is. each soil type with its
attendant climatic conditions in the
state OF Georgia, viii carry a certain
variety or cotton better than will any
other type OF soil. and so on for the
diHereo soil and climatic areas Of the
III, a5l fnrther pointed out that while
! IN sohla setstionsa big boil varieties pro-
duce the greatest yield, in others the
small boil varieties give the best re-
suits; from which 1t Is apparent how
unreasonable il is for the South Geor-
gia farmer to expect the best results
from seed bred in the northern part
u the state, and vice versa
Department viii Help
While the process Of seed breeding
Is comparatively simple one, it in
wolves many details which manifestly
cannot be given In the space Of a brief
article. The forthcoming bulletin viii
present all OF these details and will
be furnished free upon application 10
any farmer in the state desiring il.
In the meantime, II is important that
cotton planters all over Georgia should
have the general idea OF the seed
EsataRffnn ~ rnshn . he
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. For
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 10 the planter
in this work. II will furnish the
bags In which the seed should be
placed as gathered. This bag may be
tied directly 20 the stalk and the cot
ton picked and put into It, The cot
ton should be picked as fast as IL
opens aud becomes dry. u will not
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 moi
be left In the hollis 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
| of Entomology, State Capitol, Atlanta
| Ga, or 10 the chronological Expert
| ment station at Townsville, Ga
| where the seed will be ginned and the
| per cent of lint carefully calculated
| The seed will be returned to the farm
or for planting with a table showing
| 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 per
cent OF lint in order 10 help the farm.
er determine which of his seed makes
the highest percentage.
Begin The Work Now.
II Is time now 10 decide upon the
variety and the spot in the field from
which the start for breeding is 10 be
made; and Just about the time the
| cotton begins TO open the real work
OF selection should begin. Selecting
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 should
there DO any other seed remaining in
IL. 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 and
urges all Georgia cotton planters 10
send 10 the department the seed they
have selected for ginning and caicuia,
ton o. the per cent OF lint. In this
way a beginning can be made now,
snd from year TO year the farmers
pplF % seed to meet boil weeyi,
conditions anu resist disease. will be
T ia