Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-01-18

resistant Strains.
prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture.)
Several years experience with wilt.
resistant varieties has demonstrated
the fact that resistance to wilt can be
maintained only by careful attention
to breeding. Special care Is needed
to prevent the deterioration Of resist
ant varieties through crossing with
nOnresistant cotton In nearby fields,
through the lack Of selection, and
through the mixing Of seed ut the pub
the resistance Of his cotton indefinite
ly. but when neglected 1t loses this
quality In three or four years and
must be replaced by fresh seed. Con-
sequently, there is likely to be per-
manent annual demand for several
thousand bushels of carefully bred
wilt-resistant seed in nearly every in
fected country. 1t Is important that
this should be grown In the home cOun-
ty. as locally grown seed gives better
results than seed brought from dis
lance Because of these facts an ex-
cellent opportunity exists for progress
sive men in every wilt-infected county
to engage with profit In the growing Of
seed Of wilt-resistant varieties Of cot
ton. The method found most success
full requires care. accuracy, and in
StructiOn at the start
Principles Of Breeding.
The careful farmer has heretofore
attempted to maintain the quality Of
his cotton by planting his seed patch
ut distance from other cotton to
avoid crossing. by pulling out unde-
sirable plants, by mass selection of the
best plants In the field. and by care
to avoid the mixing Of the seed with
that Of other cotton at the gin. These
are all important. but one additional
step is necessary for the best results
In breeding for wilt resistance, viz. the
adoption Of the plant-tO-rOw method
of selecting and testing plants. The
increased value of the plant-to-row
method Of breeding. which is neces-
sary to maintain wilt resistance, Is
based on the principle that Individual
plants differ not only in their visible
characters but. what is more import
ant. In their inherent power to trans
init these characters to their progeny.
Two plants growing side by side may
be identical so far as the eye can see.
both In external characters and appear
ent resistance to wilt. The resistance
Of one plant may be due to an inher-
ent quality. which will be passed on
through the seed to the offspring. while
the apparent resistance of the other
may be caused by lack of wilt infec-
ton. BY planting the seed of these
two plants in progeny rows on within
fected land it is possible to pick out
and save the resistant row and discard
the other.
Breeding Methods.
For the assistance and guidance
Of farmers who desire to take I'D the
growing of wilt-resistant cotton seed.
either for their own use or for sale,
the methods worked out by the bureau
Of plant industry as the result of Is
years experience will be described.
Briefly. the plant-to-rOw method of
breeding is as follows: Select the
most resistant plants to be found. pick
and gin them separately. plant a row
from each on wilt-infected land. dis
card the nOnresistant and inferior
rows. and continue to select and breed
from the best rows and plants only.
The breeder must formulate type
Of plant toward which to select and
keep this always in mind.
Selection Of WiIt-Infected Land.
All breeding work for resistance to
wilt must be done on wilt-nfected
and. so that nOnresistant plants will
be eliminated as rapidly as they ap-
pear and only resistant ones prOpagat-
I'll. Land uniformly infected with wilt
should be selected. as free as possible
from roOt-knOt. separated from other
cotton TO avoid crOss-pOllinatiOn. and
near enough to the house to be con-
vcnient for selection work ut odd
lines. The plat may be located in n
'ornfield or i'm a field of the same va
'iety Of cotton. II should he rectangll-
ar in shape. with all the rows the
same length. and prepared and ferti-
lied as for other cotton. The rows
;hould be laid off to AZ feet apart
md the hills . to 21a feet. to allow
'ooIn FOR the normal development Of
plants.
Selections in Progeny Rows.
Plant 100 hills Of each selection.
our "r five seeds to the hill. and save
he remainder for replanting. Check
'ow.'o get the hills evenly spaced. or
stretch beside the row cord with the
liStanccs indicated. Make shallow
rcnch with small bull-tOngue pillow