SEED AND PLANT DISTRIBUTION. 65 



should be planted side by side on badly infected land and tin 1 progeny 

 compared carefully with especial reference t<> power shown of trans- 

 mitting the resistant quality. If the descendants of any plant show 

 many diseased stalks, the whole selection should be discarded. It will 

 be found that in the most resistant strains almost no susceptible plants 

 will appear. Of the resistant strains, only the one having the hot 

 commercial qualities need be retained after the second year; hut the 

 first year it is well to start with several plants, as some often turn out 

 to be nonresistant. 



To insure the maintenance of uniformity and good quality in the 

 resistant variety, the selections should be repeated every year. The 

 evidence we have now shows that the resistance to wilt can he main- 

 tained in this way without difficulty. A resistant variety will run out 

 if neglected, iust as am' other kind would do. 



/-)//,/,; distributions of seeds.— The Department of Agriculture is 

 now growing a number of wilt-resistant selections of Sea Island cotton, 

 which it is intended to distribute among- the planters as soon as a 

 sufficient quantity is obtained. Some of these may be better than the 

 "No. 224," but in the meantime it is hoped that the planters will con- 

 tinue the work of originating resistant strains for themselves, as so 

 many are now doing. 



W. A. Okton, 

 Assistant Pathologist. 



Approved: 



A. F. Woods, 

 Pathologist end Physiologist. 



[Circular sent to recipients of seed of the Iron cowpea.] 



IRON COWPEA. 



(A variety resistant to vritt and root-knot.) 

 HISTORY. 



The Iron cowpea is a variety especially adapted for soil renovation 

 and forage purposes on land where other varieties fail to succeed 

 because of the attacks of wilt, root-knot, and other soil parasites. The 

 seed sent out in two-quart packages accompanying this circular is 

 grown expressby for the Department of Agriculture and is distributed 

 in the Southern States primarily to test its resistance to the diseases 

 mentioned above, which cause the condition of land commonly known 

 as "pea-sickness." In localities where no disease occurs it should be 

 tested for hardiness, resistance to drought and weevils, and general 

 value. 



The origin of the Iron cowpea is uncertain. It was found in culti- 

 vation in Barnwell and Aiken counties, S. C, and its remarkable 

 27609— No. 25—08 5 



