74 The Bulletin. 



that bear a large number of bolls per stalk, the tendency will be in 

 the progeny to give an increased yield over the average of the patch, 

 which is the seed obtained when one waits to secure his seed at ran- 

 dom from the gin. Another objection to securing seed from the gin 

 in the usual way is that it is usually deferred until late in the fall, 

 and 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 (lint 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 stalks 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 difference in the same field in the form, shape, and number of 

 bolls on different stalks, as well as in the characteristics of the stalks 

 themselves. ISTow, 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 per pound. 



BUYING COTTON SEED, 



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

 from the most reliable sources, for frequently seeds advertised in 

 extravagant 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 fol- 

 low 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. 



