Imperial Valley press., 1923-01-24
URGE COMMUNITIES
TO GROW ONLY One
VARIETY COTTON
Mixing of Various Kinds
of Seed Harmful to
Industry

seed at the public gins and the
crossing of the different varieties
in the field are two factors which
are undoubtedly responsible for
the rapid and general deterioration
of the seed stocks tending to keep
our producing industry on low
plane of efficiency. Methods of
breeding and decentralization have
been developed and demonstrated
and number of superior varieties
have been established but the full
use OF these superior varieties can
not be had unless steps are takeI
to prevent the deterioration of tho
seed when it comes in contact with
that of other varieties at II public
gin.
Modern Gin Mixes Seed
Though the mixing Of seed of diff
ferent varieties at public gins is
fact very familiar to cotton
growers, the nature, extent, and
results Of such mixing are not gen
orally understood. In connection
with seed-breaking work, according
to the annual report of the bureau
of plant industry, United States
department of agriculture, methods
have been devised for testing, ae
monstrating and determining care
fully the extent of the mixture
that actually takes place in the or
binary course of public ginning
when q farmer gets bale Of cot
ton .ginned following different
variety. The results of such ex-
periments show that the most mod
ern and mechanically improved gin
plants are mixing the seeds on {"
scale even larger than before. A
recent publication of the results Of
a series of experiments with modern
gin equipment shows an admixturo
in the first bale of about 26 per
cent from seed of previous custom
ers held over in the gin machinery
Even the second and third bales
are contaminated, so that the ave-
rage farmer has no prospect OF
keeping his seed pure if he patro'
nizes a regular public gin and does
not take the precaution of having
the machinery thoroughly cleaned
Gin One Variety, Solution
The only simple, practical and
really effective method of avoiding
the mixture of cotton seed at the
public gins is to organize the pro
duction Of the surrounding com
munity SO that only one variety of
cotton is brought to each gin.
Where different varieties are plant
ed in neighboring fields and brought
to the same gins, it is out of the
question to keep the seed pure.
A system of onevariety cotton
gins is being developed in several
communities in Texas that are spe-
cializing in the production of sup
error varieties and selling their seed
as well as their cotton fiber at
higher prices.
Recommend Community Production
Study of the pure-seed problems
leads inevitably to the recognition
of community production as q prac-
teal ideal of cotton improvement.
Mixture and degeneration of seed
can be avoided if only one variety
Of cotton is grown in each commu-
nifty or district. Keeping varieties
pure and developing adequate sup
plies of pure seed are community
problems which individual farmers
are practically helpless to solve for
themselves under the usual condi-
tions Of production.
Cooperation to the extent OF
agreeing to plant the same variety
of cotton is necessary if farmers
are to have regular supplies of pure
seed for their own use or to sell.
The fiber also becomes more valu-
able, because the precautions that
are necessary to keep the seed pure
are effective at the same time in
keeping the staple more uniform
Manufacturers are willing to pay
more for uniform fiber, especially
if commercial quantities are obtani-
able in the same district. Through
community action it is possible to
observe the necessary precautions
so that superior varieties can be
preserved, Increased and utilized
This has been demonstrated in the
striking progress made in recent
years in the Salt River Valley OF
Arizona, where the growers have
specialized in n single variety.