Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-10
COTTON ECONOMIES
SUGGESTED IN NEW
FEDERAL BULLETIN
Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
408 Evans Building.
BY THEODORE TILLER

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1.-THE fed
eral department of agriculture sug-
vested today that reduction of
10O, 900 tons of cotton seed in the
annual planting and a saving of 49,
900 tons of linterS, now a total
waste for industrial purpos :. would
result from improved methods or
preparing, storing and marketing
cotton seed. .
This is the report of J. e. Barr,
investigator in marketing seeds.
made to the department.
In the departments bulletin No.
1856, which may be obtained free by
cotton growers and seed dealers
who apply to the department here.
Investigator Barr says that the ideal
planting cotton seed is seed which
is, selected from cotton true to type.
pure of variety, well matured, and
free from disease and insects or in
sect injury; delinted, reclaimed and
graded; and testing at least SO per
cent termination.
Continuing the bulletin says: Ode
limiting promotes a uniform stand of
plants by enabling the seeds to ger
innate more quickly and more
nearly simultaneously with the aid
of less moisture, and that it also eff
fectS an economy in the use of cot
ton seed, as planting machines will
distribute d smaller quantity per
acre more uniformly.
Saving Linters.
ITO summarize the more important
factors explained in detail in the
bulletin, cotton seed which has been
delinted may be rec1eaned and grad
ed more easily and effectively. The
results of such recleaning and grad
ing should be seeds that are per-
fectly clean, more uniform in weight,
higher in termination, and produce
vigorous, rapid-growing disease-re-
sisting, and high:producing plants.
Experiments are on record where
Graded or heavy seed produced from
S.25 per cent to 1913 per cent more
seed-cotton per acre than ungraded
or light seed.
"Al1 other factors being equal, the
value of given quantity of seed is
in direct proportion to the percent
age that will grow. Cotton seed may
be of low termination because of
Cnfavorable weather conditions. de-
lay in harvesting, and heating in
storage: investigations show that
there is a wide variation in the
viability Of such seed sold for plant
ing purposes. Apparently this va
ration occurs not only between the
lots sold by different dealers but also
between the percentage of gernlin-
able seed in each Of two or more
lots sold by the same dealer. Conse-
quently when buying cotton seed
for planting purposes farmers should
insist on knowing what percentage
may be expected to grow, based on
reliable tests previously made.
Value of Seed
IA sale Of cotton seed for planting
purposes represents something more
than ordinary merchandising. 1t has
a direct bearing on the crop which
may be produced. The value of the
seed is potential, not apparent, and
the farmer in making purchases has
to rely almost wholly on the in.
tegrity of the seller and the accu-
racy and completeness of his state
ments.
Many extravagant claims and in
consistent statements appear in ad-
vertisements, catalogues, and cir
cularS issued by cotton seed deal
ers.f The practice Of remaining va
rietiess of cotton also has been great
ly abused. To grow or purchase
cotton seed of a well-known or COM
mon variety of or mixed varieties,
and sell it under an unknown name
with glowing descriptions, implying
that results hitherto not attained
may be expected, is a policy to oe
When seed of a new va
riety or improved strain of cotton is
offered to the public, it's origin, meth.
90 of developing, tests made and re-
suits obtained, it's soil, climatic and
regional adaptations, and the repu-
tation of the originator are factors
which should be considered in pass
ing judgment on its true value.