REPORT OF AGRICULTURIST 

 (Work under Hatch and Adams Funds) 



E. F. Cauthen 



Cotton — Cotton breeding received a great deal of attention 

 along the lines pursued in previous years. Cleveland and Cook 

 varieties and also a hybrid (King and Triumph) were grown 

 in plant-to-row tests and considerable data were taken on 

 type of plants, size of bolls, length of fiber, earliness, resistance 

 to disease, etc., for use in the study of correlation. While 

 making a careful study of these varieties, as a plant breeding 

 project, some very desirable strains of Cook and Cleveland 

 have been isolated, and their seed placed among farmers for 

 multiplication. 



Five cotton hybrids, including Cook Unknown, and Cook 

 Trice were planted in isolated places and studied. A hybrid 

 of a short staple variety crossed on Yuma (a long staple 

 Egyptian cotton) was studied with a view to determining the 

 dominant and recessive characters. 



The variety tests included a comparison of 22 leading short 

 staple varieties in regular plots, 17 less well known varieties 

 for observation, and 9 varieties in a long staple test. The 

 experiment comparing light and heavy seed was continued. 

 A test of the effects of topping at different ages on earliness 

 and yield was made; also the effects of thinning early and 

 late, planting the seed on a bed, on a level, and in a water 

 furrow. 



Corn — Considerable attention was given by Mr. Tisdale to 

 the project in corn breeding. The work of correlating the 

 different ear characters is being continued with two prolific 

 varieties; Experiment Station Yellow, a yellow flint variety, 

 and Whatley, a white dent weevil-resistant variety. The char- 

 acters of the ear and shuck that fit it for weevil resistance are 

 being correlated with yield and other characters. The ear-to- 

 row method is used on the two varieties in testing the charac- 

 ters that give a high correlation and in selecting for strains 

 of corn best suited to Alabama conditions. 



Eighteen varieties of corn were tested in plots for compara- 



