26 The Bulletin. 



aud thereby, generally, seed from the last picking are obtained, which 

 are not the best seed. The best seed, as a rule, are from the middle 

 picking. 



In selecting a variety one must not be guided entirely by total 

 yield of seed cotton, for often between two varieties producing about 

 the same quantity per acre, the one with the smaller yield should be 

 chosen because of its production of a larger amount of lint and higher 

 selling price of total products flint and seed). It should be remem- 

 bered that lint sells for from eight to fifteen times as much per pound 

 as seed. 



Other things being equal, preference should be given to the larger- 

 boiled varieties, with a large number of locks per boll, as they are 

 much easier picked and hence are most popular with pickers. 



A few hours spent in the fall in selecting and gathering separately 

 the seed cotton from stalks that have a large number of bolls well dis- 

 tributed over the stalk and with other desirable characters, will pay 

 as well, or better, than any other form of farm work. The seed cot- 

 ton thus gathered should be ginned separately and the seed carefully 

 saved in some secure place for the next year's planting. Every one 

 who has been through a cotton-field in the fall has surely noticed the 

 great dift'erence in the same field intheform,shape, and number of bolls 

 on different stalks, as well as in the characteristics of the stalks them- 

 selves. jSTow, remembering that the law of heredity is as strong and 

 constant in plants as in animals, will help to emphasize the great 

 importance of selecting seed of the short staple cotton only from those 

 stalks that bear the largest amount of lint cotton per stalk. Of 

 course, this latter statement does not apply to long staple cottons in 

 comparison with the short staple ones, for a long staple cotton may 

 produce less lint per acre than a short staple one, yet this smaller 

 number of pounds may sell for more on the market, on account of its 

 higher selling price j)er pound. 



BUYING SEED. 



Seed of cotton as well as all other crops should be purchased only 

 from the most reliable sources, for frequently seeds advertised in ex- 

 travagant superlatives are inferior. It is not always the cheapest 

 seed that are secured for the smallest outlay ; nor, on the other hand, 

 are all expensive seed of superior quality; so the only safe plan to 

 follow is to buy from the most reliable parties. It might be said, 

 however, that if seed are properly selected they will have to bring a 

 good price to compensate the seedsman or grower for his extra care 

 and expense. The seed should possess strong vitality, for seed of low 

 vitality produce a poor stand of stunted plants that do not produce 

 as large yields as good seed when grown under identical conditions of 



