The Bulletin. 67 



atively small, as an imusually early frost in the fall, after a very late 

 starting in the spring, followed by a wet growing season, cnt off the 

 crop from one-third to one-half, as most of the bolls on the upper por- 

 tion of the plants were killed eariy in their growth and did not open. 

 Only one picking was made of the varieties this year at both the Edge- 

 combe and Iredell farms. Of the varieties that have been tested con- 

 tinuously at the different farms since the inauguration of variety- 

 testing at them, as seen by Table X, Russell's Big Boll and Culpep- 

 per's Improved, as an average of seven years' tests, have ranked as the 

 best varieties at the Edgecombe farm ; Culpepper's Improved, Excel- 

 sior Prolific, King's Improved, and Russell's Big Boll were best at 

 Red Springs as an average of five years' tests ; while King's Improved, 

 Culpepper's Improved, and Edgeworth were highest at the Iredell 

 farm as an average of four years' testing. 



In this connection it is interesting to note that in the several tests 

 of cotton on the different farms the difference between the one yielding 

 the highest amount of seed cotton per acre and the one the lowest in 

 the individual tests, results have ranged from 530 to 915 pounds of 

 seed cotton at Edgecombe w^ith the number of varieties ranging from 

 seven to twenty-six during the past seven years ; at Red Springs 204 

 to 533 pounds during five years with from five to twenty varieties ; 

 and at Iredell from 455 to 565 pounds when using from nine to 

 twenty-five varieties in the different tests during the past four years. 



These results speak in no uncertain terms as to the importance and 

 value of good seed, which are adapted to the different soils and locali- 

 ties of the State. 



In Table XI is given the rank of the varieties tested this year ac- 

 cording to certain characteristics ; while Table XII shows the average 

 ranking of these years at Edgecombe, two at Red Springs and four at 

 Iredell. Both of these tables will be found to contain much informa- 

 tion compiled in compact form. 



SOME NOTES ON VARIETIES OF COTTON TESTED IN 1906. 



Russell's Big Boll is a hardy, large-boiled and vigorous-gi'owing 

 variety that yields well, especially on a loamy or sandy soil in the 

 eastern part of the State, and is very popular with pickers. In value 

 of total products (lint and seed) it stood third in 1900 and 1905, first 

 in 1901 and 1902, seventh in 1903, fourth in 1904, and twentieth in 

 1906, at the Edgecombe farm; third in 1900 and 1902, first in 1901, 

 seventh in 1903 and fifth in 1904 at Red Springs; and third in 1903 

 and seventh in 1904 at Iredell. In ordinary seasons this variety is 

 not only prolific, but tolerably reliable, especially on the well-drained 

 sandy or loamy soil of the east. This season it was greatly cut off by 

 an early frost. 



