Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-08-12
average Per Cent of Oil in Leading
Varieties of COTTON


ReXaIl ZZ.J9
This list does not contain oil the
varieties which run high in oil con-
tent, nor should some OF tine Varie-
ties be discarded because they do
not lGEpCn to show as high yield
of oil as others. 1t should be re-
mcmbered that there are many
grown in Georgia. For instance, we
have found some that run high in
oil content and some low. 1t de-
Ponds on the fancy and purpose
strain happens to have in mind as
to the quality and character of plant
he Will emphasize. AS a matter of
fact, very little effort has been made
up to the present time to breed va
rieties of cotton which run high in
oil. This is a kind of work under
taken almost exclusively by the
State College of Agriculture and dur
ing comparatively recent years. No
funds have been made available by
the state for investigations of this
character up to the present time, and
what little work has been done has
been promoted primarily through the
cooperation extended to this insti-
tuition by NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. indi-
VidualS and concerns who wished to
have data of the immense practical
! and economic value set forth above
acquired ana ma Q6 dV8lldDl6 TO Ine
public for their information and adj
vice.
In increasing the oil content of
cotton seed, therefore, there are sew
eral things to bear in mind First
of all. secure a strain which has run
high in this element through a Sc
ries of years and in which a high
ing characteristic. Select variety
which is adapted to local conditions,
For instance, in some sections a very
early variety should be used on ac-
count of boil weevil attack. In other
sections varieties should be selected
sistance to the wilt disease.
After the variety has been secur-
ed then fertiliZe and cultivate 1t to
the best advantage. When seed OF
strains which run extra high in oil
are produced they should be sold on
the basis OF oil content, thereby en-
suing to the producer premium for
his effort in growing a strain high
in oil. A good many mills, eSpe
cially the larger ones. are already
buying seed on the basis of oil con-
tent. This is the only safe and bust
and it is as much in the interest of
the producer as their own to have
seed handled on this basis, because
it is self-evident that man who
produces a superior type of seed
should be paid according. to the
grade of his particular seed and not
on the basis of the average oil con-
tent Of all the seed produced in that
locality. III.
There is no reason why practically
every farmer in Georgia should not
undertake to improve his cotton seed
locally. He can have the seed an
alyZed for oil content at a very
Iy11nf hn finds
strain that is satisfactory in this re-
spect he can then, by selecting an
acre or two of ground plant in in
dividual rows the seed selected from
the best of the plants growing in
his field. He should then have SAM
analysed and take the best yielding
strain to be reproduced on his seed
area the next year. In the mean
time, he will take the seed off the
particular acre in question and plant
them as his field crop. BY contin-
uing this process year after year he
will be able to improve the quality
of his crop not only as to oil con-
tent but in other desirable charac-
teristics as well. He should re-
member that practically every new
Or desirable quality which has been
added to the cotton crop since it's
introduction into the south has been
brought about by careful and per-
sistent selection on the part of our
seed growers. 1t is true that we
did not understand for many years
the fundamental principles involved
in breeding and that no doubt a good
deal of effort and energy was vast
ed. but after all a good deal of
progress has been made, and GER
tainly the foundation has been laid
on which to build a fine superstruc-
ture for the immediate future.
That we need to establish seed
] breeding plats on our individual
farms and to encourage seed breed
ing on the part of those who may
be able to specialize in this direction
is brought out by the results of
analyses of various varieties of cot
totn seed made here at the col
terested in determining the oil con-
tent. 1t was found that in the case
of Cleveland Big Boil one sample
showed 17.04 per cent of oil, another