The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1916-08-02
INCREASE COTTON YIELD
BY BREEDING GOOD SEED
State Department Of Entomology VIII Help Farmers
Breed Seed To Make Better Crops.


Georgia when successful cotton pro
duction demands careful and persist
ent attention 70 the breeding Of the
highest type Of seed. says the state
Board Of Entomology in Z bulletin on
cotton breeding shortly TO be issued
for the Information and advantages Of
farmers Of this state
Good seed. the DEPARTMENT points
out. IS not only imperative in planting
70 meet boil WeeviI conditions, but 10
produce strains that are resistant 70
The many destructive diseases "a
which the cotton plant IS subject in
dIGerent sections Of the state
For the benefit 81 GeOrgia's cotton
growers the department employs a
number Of experts in cotton breeding
whose entire time is given to this
work Among them are Ira " vii
Hams and G. A. McLendon. both Of
whom have furnished valuable data
i. for the bulletin soon 10 be issued
These experts are a. the service OF
the farmer upon request. whenever he
may desire their assistance in the mat
ter Of producing higher and stronger
type Of seed.
Every farmer should develop his
own cotton seed beth 80 meet boH wee
vii conditions and TO resist disease
The reason for this Is. az Mr. Nc
Lendon points out. that the cotton
plant If the product Of two forces
environment ana heredity Climatic
and soil conditions and methods Of cul.
ture vary in different sections: there.
fore, the best seed for a particular
locality is produced in that locality il.
self As 10 hered!iy, selectioHy be
comes comparatively easy matter
because il involves simply the choice
from year 70 year Of the aesd frt9,
the plant or plants which gf5W the
strongest, mature the earliest and man.
ifest the greatest degree Of resistance
10 black root or wilt disease and 9th.
er diseases attacking the plant.
For WeeviI Conditions
Good "pedigreed" seed locally adapt
ed is absolutely essential. Mr.. VIII
liams points out. il weevil infestation
Is very great BY pedigreed seed is
meant that which extends back for a
number OF years and which has been
developed as rapidly as possible from
a single stalk
The proper method is to select say
City stalks Of the variety considered
best and plant these nifty stalks In fif-
" different rows, examine carefully
and study the different rows, and re-
iect the most desirable and most pro
ductiyc row. Increase this row into a
block and from the block into as large
an area az possible. II this large area
does not plant the entire field, in.
crease again the next year Select the
individual stalks each year from rows
or blocks OF previous selection and re.
peat the method every year. BY this
means the farmer will have pedigreed
seed coming as close back as possible
from one stalk. and continuing this
process from year 20 year. the period
of breeding will ultimately extend
through a long number OF years.
II farmer is not willing to 20 10
the trouble OF developing his seed by
this method. he should purchase one OF
more bushels of seed each year from
some man near him who does do this
and from such seed plant his entire
crop"
Adapted To Locality
The State Board of Entomology has
found by numerous tests that va
riety of cotton good In one section oil
the state. is a failure in another THAI
is why II is most important TO get
a variety as well bred as possible that
3s best adapted TO the locality. Tn,
seed chosen should be from stalks
which are absolutely free from any
signs Of wilt or root knot. After d
wilt resistant variety is secured. the
farmer should see to 1t that his cotton
is free from other diseases II he Il
compelled 10 lose some cotton from
the boil weevil. he can not afford q
lose il from any other cause Amoae
the most destructive of these diseases
are angular leaf spot, or black arm,
as II Is known by sea island planters
which Is germ disease, and anthrax
nose, fungus disease, which In neXl
to black arm, and, in conjunction with
II, the most destructive agency TO the
boils of cotton. These two diseases
are perpetuated in the seed, which
makes u of the highest Importance ia
choose the seed from plants unaffect.
ed by them.
The type Of stalk 10 be chosen un.
der boil weevil conditions is a small
stalk with as little foliage as possible
bllt which should be equally productive
as larger stalks. II should have me
dunn sized bolls, because the greater
the number OF bolls TO the stalk. the
larger will be the number OF them 10
reach maturity free from weevil al
tack. Unless a farmer Is breeding for
length OF lint and selling upon that
basis, IL is better TO devote his energy
to securing the highest per cent OF
lint. This is largely a matter of b..
dividual decision.
What Is known as mass selection"
may be practiced under certain condi
tons with good results. This consists
In going through the held and select
ing the seed from the healtniAat .rC
most productive sta ks freug p eos -.