Vol. XVIII. No. 436. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



E. — A factor which produces the New Era pattern on the 

 seed coat, and also anthocyanin pigment in the young pod, 

 calyx, and peduncle. 



K. A factor for pigment in the seed coat, anthocyanin 



in stem and leaf stalk, and colour in the flower. 



E is without effect except R be present. According to 

 this view, the cross under discussion is E r by e r. The types 

 appearing in F., are, 9 E R (New Era), 3 e R (Hrown), 3 E r 

 (Albino), and 1 e r (Albino). 



Since all the pigmented types possess the .So!id type of 

 pattern, it is evident that Para has both the Watson (W) and 

 Holstein (H) factors- These are without visible effect except 

 in the presence of the factor for pigmentation of the seed coat 

 brought in by New Era. The statement that the factor R is 

 responsible for brown colour in the seed coat, and anthocyanin 

 colour in stem, leaf staik, and flower, does not preclude the 

 existence in the Albino type of l^ara of factors for flower 

 colour and anthocyanin pigmentation of the vegetative parts, 

 for such factors may be present and have no visible effect, 

 except in presence of R- Thus the cross msy be : — 



Para (X W H r e) by New Era (,\ W H R E) 

 where X is the factor for anthocyanin colour in stem and 

 leaf stalk, W is the factor for Watson pattern and Dark 

 flower, H is the factor for Holstein pattern, R is the factor 

 for pigmentation of the seed coat, and E is the factor for the 

 New Era pattern. None of the factors have visible eflect 

 except in presence of R. 



Rkkebkncks: 



Havland, S. C, 1918. '.\ Study of Inliuritauce in tlie 

 ■Oowpea (Vigna siaeiisisy Jourad uf Geitelin (not yet pub- 

 lished). 



Spillnmn, W. .T., I'.Hl. 'Inheritance of the "Eye" in 

 Vii'na'. The American Nithiralist, Veil. XIV, Seirteniber 1911, 

 pp? 513-23. 



BEE KEEPING-A POSSIBLE HELP TO 

 COTTON GROWERS. 



It has often been noticed that a large percentage of the 

 flowers produced by any one cotton plant fail to set bolls. 

 A study of this condition by the late Mr. Rowland 

 M. Meade, appeared in the Joiiriia! of Heredity, October 

 1918. Although the writer's death prevented any further 

 investigation, his preliminary notes on the subject are very 

 .suggestive, and may lead to further studies on this line. As 

 far as information goes, it does not appear that any experi- 

 ments of the kind described below have been as yet under- 

 taken in the cotton-growing islands of the West Indies. 

 Such experiments and their results will be well worth record- 

 ing. Much of Mr. Meade's paper is reproduced below 



The percentage of cotton flowers that develop into 

 mature bolls is generally low. Even under the most favour- 

 able conditions many of the buds do not reach the blooming 

 stage, and many flowers that open fail to set bolls. 



Inadequate pollination may be <'.onsidered as a po.ssible 

 cause of the shedding, when the flowering stage had been 

 reached. 



The cofon flower is a large, cup-shaped blossom: it i.s 

 borne in an upright position on the upper side of the fruiting 

 branch. The pollen grains are very large, and have moist 

 spinose surfaces, so that they tend to cohere when freed 

 from the anthers and are not carried about by the wind. 



The period durint; which fertilization is possible lasts 

 only A few hours- The Hower.s open soon after sunrise, com- 

 mence to wiiher a--^ the temperature rises in the middle of the 

 day, and close.< in the evening when the stigma is dry. The 



second or third day after blooming, the petals, stamens, anj 

 pistil separate from the rest of the flower, and fall from tha 

 plant. 



In some types the relative position of the sti^mis and 

 stamens is favourable, and in others unfavourable, for .self- 

 pollination. 



ilost of the flowers with long stigmas projecting abova 

 the stamens do not become completely self-fertilized, as the 

 anthers and stigmas are too widely separated. The flowers 

 of many of the long staple varieties are of this type, the stig- 

 mas often exceeding the anthers by 1.5 mm. The bolls 

 resulting from such flowers have 2.;l to l-o per cent, of aborted 

 seeds, and it seems not unreasonable to attribute this abor- 

 tion in part to the lack of perfect poUiAition. Flowers with 

 short stigmas inbedded among the upper stamens, are readily 

 self- fertilized. Erect stamens, either long or short, are also 

 favourable to self-fertilization, since they bring the anthers 

 in close proximity to the pistils. 



Cotton bolls have three to five lock.s or compartments, 

 each containing from six to eleven ovules, the number vary- 

 ing with the type of cotton. Few locks of long staple types 

 contain more than nine seeds, while most of those of big- 

 boiled, short types have at least eight seeds. 



It was found by preliminary investigation that the bolls 

 failed to set unless at least "2.5 grains of pollen were 

 applied to the stigmas; even with this number, only one or 

 two seeds matured in each lock. As each lock contains from 

 .six to eleven ovule.s, it is necessary for at least 25 to 55 

 grains of pollen to reach the stigmas in order that all the 

 ovules of a four or five locked boll be fertilized- 



An experiment was conducted at San Antonio, Texass 

 during 1913, to determine whether an iucrease in boll pro- 

 production might be expected on the result of complete 

 pollination Two varieties of cotton were chosen for this 

 investigation — Durango, a long staple type with stigmas 

 exserted beyond the stamens, and Aoala, a short staple type 

 with short stigmas embedded among the stamens. 'The 

 separation of the anther-s from the stigma in the Durango 

 flower reduces the chances of self-fertilization, while the 

 conditions found in Acala cotton favour self-fertilization. 

 Two rows cf each variety were planted for this experiment. 



One of the rows of each variety was designated as A, 

 and the other as B. The flowers in the A rows were com- 

 pletely self-pollinated, anthers being removed by hand, and 

 the pollen scattered over the pistil until the stigmas were 

 well covered- The flowers in the B rows were allowed to 

 become pollinated naturally- 



The hand pollination in the A rows produced the eftecfc 

 that might be expected from the work of bees or other 

 pollinating insects operating in great numbers. 



As was anticipated, better result.s (an increase of nearly 

 11 percent.) were obtained by artificial pollination in tha 

 Durang9 cotton than in the Acala variety, in which tha 

 increase was only about half as great' As before stated, the 

 flowers of thejformer have ex.serted pistils, not adapted for 

 perfect self-pollination, while those of the latter variety have 

 short pistils. 



No effort was made to exclude insects, and the weather 

 conditions during the course of the investigation were noC 

 unfavourable tf) their activities. It is evident from increased 

 yield of bolls secured in the long-pistillerl l)iiraiigo variety 

 through artificial pollination that the presence of additional 

 pollinating insects would aid in reducing the high percentage 

 of .shedding. The value if honey bees in this connexion is 

 recognized in some localities, and it would .see.n that growjra 

 of long-stapled varieties might thid bee keeping a distinct; 

 advantage to the cotton crop. 



