The Bulletin. 61 



CORRELATION OF CHARACTERS OF VARIETIES OF COTTON. 



With cotton, as with corn, it is of the highest importance for farmers, 

 and imperative for all those who are studying or trying to improve 

 varieties, to know what characters are usually antagonistic and what 

 ones are mutually helpful in their economic development. In Table 

 XII are compiled, in concise form, the results of five years' tests at 

 Edgecombe and six at Iredell. From this compilation, supplemented 

 by observation in the field and at the gin, the following tentative infer- 

 ences are made in reference to the varieties of upland cotton tested, 

 when grown under the conditions of climate and soil as represented by 

 these farms: 



Antagonistic Characters. — (1) Earliness in maturity is not usually 

 conducive to large yields, although in areas where a short growing 

 period is afforded the earlier maturing varieties often give the greater 

 yields (but these are not large generally), as is shown by King's Im- 

 proved, which, during the past five years, has proven the most prolific 

 of seed cotton at the Iredell farm, where the growing period for cotton 

 during an average season is comparatively short. (2) Varieties that 

 have large seed generally yield a small percentage of lint to seed. (3) 

 Late-maturing varieties do not generally produce seed cotton that yields 

 a high percentage of lint, although the number of pounds of lint per 

 acre may be large. (4) Small-boiled varieties are not generally easily 

 picked, and hence are unpopular with pickers. 



Associated Characters. — (1) Varieties that mature early tend to the 

 production of seed cotton that contains a high percentage of lint to seed. 

 (2) Varieties with short staple usually have a high percentage of lint, 

 and vice versa. (3) Varieties with large bolls generally have large seed 

 and small percentage of lint. (4) The larger the yield of seed cotton 

 per acre, through proper fertilization or favorable seasonal conditions, 

 the lower the percentage of lint to seed, even of the same variety. (5) 

 Good root and leaf development of a variety tends to increase power of 

 resistance to drought, insect and disease ravages. 



PROPER PLACE TO SELECT SEED. 



"With cotton, as with any other staple crop, the place to select seed 

 for the next year's planting is in the field — selecting with reference to 

 total yield of seed cotton, percentage of lint, date of maturity, vigor, 

 hardiness, form and size of bolls, leaves, stalks, limbs, and resistance to 

 disease and insect ravages. By selecting from stalks 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 random 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 



