Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-03-06
AGRICULTURAL
.A!EDUCAT1oN.
'-~~~o SUCCESSFUL tARnlNe
AlsED ANDREW N, SOULt
Facts to Consider IN Selecting Cotton
Planting Seed

a most valuable adjunct, not only 10
the farmer but to the manufactures as
well. In preparing such map the state
should be divided according 10 climatic
and soil areas. This will not be such
a difficult thing 10 do as might APP
pear at first thought. Then all the
varieties grown and which it is claim
cd have been selected and handled with
some care by the producers should be
investigated and studied at first hand
that the characteristics of the plants
.as they grow in the field. their resis-
lance to disease, and their early matur-
ing qualities may be ascertained. The
method of selecting the seed and the
care with which they are ginned and
handled should also be ascertained.
Then. the oil and nitrogen content Of
the seed should be determined. By this
means varieties that are we'll esta5-
lished and have a wide ada ptability can
be determined. as we'll as those which
are well suited to certain soil or eli
matte areas. Thus. the first step be-
comes possible in the elimination of
the growth of the large number of un-
satisfactory sorts which are cultivated
and sold purely for mercenary purposes
by many individuals who have no con-
ception of the first principles of plant
breeding and are only in the business be-
cause of it's lucrative nature. 1t is now
well established, for Instance, that Ger
tain varieties of cotton are strongly
resistant to the wilt disease. Others
which are equally good in territory not
infested by this fungus would prove
worthless in infested territory. With
some varities so per cent Of the bolls
may be destroyed by anthracnose. 1t
is criminal to permit such a variety 10
be grown and widely distributed even
if it has some good qualities, because
when this fungus becomes established
in the soil it will maintain itself there
for years and will destroy succeeding
crops of cotton unless some strain high
ly resistant to it be secured.
A seed map of the character indicated
is now in the course of preparation for
the state of Georgia. 1t will take sew
eral months to complete ii, but when
finished, il is believed that it will pre-
sent the first definite data with refer
ence to the amount and kind of planting
seed being produced within the confines
of a given state. 1t will show the va
rieties being grown and Offered for
sale as seed. the quantity produced ana
the extent TO which it is cultivated II
is believed that when this map is COM
Melted and the oil and nitrogen content
of all the varieties in question ascer-
tanned that il will be found that con-
siderable number of varieties are being
grown which do not advantage the farm
er in any sense. and can not be handled
with profit and success by the oil mills.
The need OF standardizing varieties IN
thus self-evident, and need not be dwell
on in al,v considerable detail at the
present time.
In this connection it will be inter
I estiug to present the record Of SIX va
/ rieties in so far as the oil content Is
concerned as grown in the demonstra-
tion field of the State College of Agri-
culture at Athens during the years 1911
1915 and 1916.