70 The Bulletin, 



Little's Improved occupied twenty-fourth place at Edgecombe. Its 

 stand was the poorest of all varieties tested this year. 



Bed Rust Proof in this year's test at the Edgecombe farm stood in 

 twenty-fifth place. 



Brown Texas Wood ranked fourteenth in 1904 and twenty-sixth in 

 1906 at Edgecombe; fourteenth in 1904 at Eed Springs; and twelfth 

 in 1904 and eighteenth in 1906 at Iredell. 



STUDY OF COMPILED RESULTS OF VARIETY TESTS OF COTTON. 



Seven years ago the Department of Agriculture, by means of its 

 test farms, began comparative tests of varieties of cotton with the 

 purpose, primarily, of ascertaining, if possible, the varieties that 

 are most prolific of seed cotton per acre, when grown under our 

 conditions of soil and climate. During this time tests have been 

 the different farms. It is felt from this accumulated data of seven 

 or eight in 1900 to twenty-seven in 1906 in the different tests on 

 the different farms. It is felt from this accumulated data of seven 

 years' tests that some very reliable and valuable information has 

 been derived, especially if taken and intelligently applied by the 

 individual farmers of the State in their farming operations. 



VARIATION IN YIELD OF VARIETIES. 



In our variety tests we have had some variety or varieties to yield 

 700 to 900 pounds of seed cotton per acre more than other varieties in 

 the same tests and grown under identical conditions of soil, fertiliza- 

 tion, and cultivation. This variation in yield has been no uncommon 

 occurrence in our experience. Take, for instance, the results at the 

 Edgecombe farm during the past seven years. In 1900, in a test of 

 eight varieties, the difference between the variety yielding the largest 

 amount of seed cotton per acre and the one the smallest, was 565 

 pounds; in 1901 and 1902, in tests of seven varieties each, the differ- 

 ence was 530 and 790 pounds respectively; in 1903, 663 pounds, 

 when nine varieties were incorporated, 724 pounds in 1904 with 

 twenty-one varieties, 576 pounds in 1905 with twenty-three varieties, 

 and 915 pounds in 1906 with twenty-six varieties. The average of 

 these differences is more than the average annual yield per acre of seed 

 cotton in North Carolina. To grow cotton cheaply per pound, more 

 must be produced per acre than is at present done on an average. To 

 do this, better varieties must be planted, more thorough preparation 

 and cultivation be given to the land, and more intelligent fertilization, 

 either directly or indirectly, must be practised. It costs no more to 

 cultivate a prolific variety of cotton than one that has few bolls to the 

 stalk, or has a larger number of stalks missing in the row due to im- 

 perfect germination of the seed or some other avoidable or unavoid- 

 able cause. 



