Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-18
Data About Varieties of Cotton
ND SUCCESSFUL FARMING
Dr. ANDREWN eSolZE

Data About Varieties of Cotton
We are frequently asked which is
the best variety of cotton under 8
given set of conditions. This is al
ways a difficult question to answer
satisfactorily. This is due to the
wide diversity of the soil and eli
matte conditions to be satisfied. Fer
tilizers also play an important part
in the performance records of cot
ton. 1t is noteworthy that a variety
| adapted to one section may prove in
effective elsewhere. Some strains
are also subject to diseases to which
other varieties are practically i'm
mune. 1t is evident, therefore, that
no positive recommendations can be
made. but the consensus of opinion
and the experience of those who have
studied this question are matters
worthy Of the most careful consid-
GRAFTON and attention. This being
true, summary of the findings
Servations made through the agency
of the Georgia State College of Ag-
riculture and it's corps of workers
are worthy of careful perusal and
consideration. The facts presented
below are in summarized form and
represent the best information and
data available on this subject.
Soil fertility, rainfall, boil weevil
depredations and diseases vary great
ly in different regions, and the va
riety chosen must be one that is
adapted to the conditions where it
is to be grown. From the tests made
by the Georgia State College of Ag-
riculture, the following varieties are
for sections of south Georgia where
the land is not infested with wilt:
College No. /, Piedmont Cleveland.
Wanamaker's Cleveland, Steinheim-
er's Cleveland, Hooper's, Trice, Sun
beam, Cooks and Texas Bur. ,.
For wilt conditions the following
varieties are recommended: Petty's
Toole and Lewis 80. Ali of these
not given such a high yield at
Athens, but are very valuable through
south Georgia on account of their
wilt resistance.
A number Of varieties Of long
staple upland cotton have been test
ed. The express variety grown in
1918 and 1919 is by far the earliest
variety tested Foster also gave a
very high yield in 1919, but is not SO
early as Express, although the length
of staple is some better. 1t is note
worthy that Lone Star, Dixafifi and
Weber all have "a high value, but
the yield per acre is not so high
as some of the short staple varie-
ties. The premium received for these
cottons over short staple depends on
the length of staple and market con-
ditions; so care should be taken to
prevent these varieties crossing or
becoming mixed at the gin with short
staple cotton. Dixafif is the only one
Of fhnSo vic that iS wilt raSjS-
tant. In ginning long staple upland
cotton the speed of the gins should
be reduced at least one-third in or
der to prevent undue cutting Of the
fibers.
Meads, while classified as long
staple, upland, has about the same
length of lint as Sea Island and
sells for about the same price. It
is much earlier than Sea Island, and
good crops CT it were secured in
1919 under weevil conditions. 1t is
our best short staple varieties, but
seems to be amendable in this re-
spect. 1t is hoped that this variety
will supplant Sea Island in the re-
gions where Sea Island was former
ly grown as roller gins and facili-
ties for marketing are already pres
emit in these sections. The most i'm
portant factor concerned in the rails
ing of thi. variety is the mainte-
nance of pure supply of seed.
There is a commonly accepted idea
that a variety will run out If grown
in the same locality continuously
for some years. Varieties do dete-
riorate after few years, but this
need not be the case If the proper
steps are taken to improve a variety
and adapt it to the local environment,
such a variety will give higher yields
than seed secured from some dis
lance. Seed that have been bred and
in Georgia are better forl
our conditions than seed shipped
in from other sections of the coun-
try.
The offspring of cotton plant
are never all just like the parent.
In the breeding work at the Geor-
gia State College of Agriculture the
examination of a row planted from
a single stalk has repeatedly shown
variation in the stalks of this row
in regard to character of stalk, size
of boil, length of lint and other
Some of these variations
are mere fluctuations, While others
are hereditary. Not all of these hered-
itary variations are of as much
value as the parent strain, while
others are better than the parent. If
these undesirable plants are allowed
10 remain, they multiply rapidly and
by cross with better plants reduce
the value of the variety as a whole
so that unless cotton is selected, we
soon have the so-called run-out con-
dition. Another cause of deterioration
is the mixing of seed at public gins.
The gin roll is not usually removed
between different lots of cotton so
that the seed become mixed in this
way.
The Importance of live stock
breeding has long been recognized,
but not until recent years has the
average cotton grower realized the
Importance Of selection in cotton
cilities or inclination to try to i'm
prove his cotton, but there is prob
ably no one operation on the farm
that will bring greater returns for
the amount of time invested, and, if
a farmer does not care to improve
his cotton, he should secure seed
every three or four years from some
good plant breeder.
AS was brought out earlier, no
two stalks of cotton are exactly alike.
Some are high yielders, others low.
To improve cotton, it is simply nee
essary to pick out these best plants
and test them to see If these good
qualities are transmitted to their off,.
spring. i
Before selecting cotton, however,
an ideal plant must be had in mind.
A medium sized, stocky plant with
an abundance of fruiting branches
close to the ground has given the
highest yields under boil weevil con-
ditions. A plant with large, vegeta-
tive branches near the ground even
produces n