XX KEPORT OF THE SECEETAEY OF AGRICULTURE. 



soil improvement is especially felt. Thirty bushels of seed of this 

 resistant variety were distributed during- the past year. 



Satisfactory progress was made during the 3^ear in securing varieties 

 of cotton resistant to the Texas root-rot, and some evidence was 

 obtained that varieties ma}" be developed resistant to the dreaded cot- 

 ton boll weevil. 



BETTEK UPLAND COTTONS.' 



One of the greatest needs in improving the cotton industry of the 

 United States has been to secure a long-staple Upland variet}^ which is 

 of good quality and productive. 



The long-staple Upland varieties at present existing are all of them 

 rather light producers, and are defective in that the fiber is borne on 

 fuzzy or tufted seed, which makes them difficult to gin. 



The aim of the Department's experts has been to secure productive 

 varieties with large bolls, easy to pick, with fine, strong lint from 1^ 

 to If inches long, borne on a smooth black seed. Many hj'brids were 

 made with this in view and the result has been successful beyond our 

 expectations. Several varieties of the ideal type desired have been 

 produced, having larger bolls, very productive, with long, fine fiber, 

 borne on smooth black seeds. The experiments of the past year show 

 quite conclusively that these varieties can be made permanent. 



Egypt and South Africa are waking up to their possibilities in cotton 

 production, and they are already endeavoring to get some of our ex- 

 perts to help them to develop the industr}- in competition with the 

 United States. The only way we can continue to maintain our 

 supremac}^ in the future is to develop and grow better and more pro- 

 ductive varieties than will be grown by our competitors. 



HAKUY OKANGEH. 



The work of developing frost-resistant oranges was started several 

 years ago, and the progress of the work has been rej^orted from time 

 to time. During the past season we have obtained the first fruits of 

 these hybrids. These are intermediate in character between the 

 Florida sweet orange and the hardy trifoliate, and have good, though 

 few, seeds. There is therefore strong probability that from the seeds 

 of these fruits we shall obtain numerous varieties with the qualities 

 desired. 



WHEAT BREEDING. 



Several of the Russian winter wheats are superior to the American 

 varieties; still there is room for improving on the Russian varieties. 

 As a rule Japanese varieties are early maturing, while the better Rus- 

 sian sorts are late. H3'brids between the Japanese and Russian vari- 

 eties have already been obtained having the good qualities of the hardy 

 Russian sorts and the early ripening quality of the Japanese. Early 



