REPORT ON VARIETY TESTS OF COTTON FOR 1915 



By K. Y. Wixteks and V. K. Herman. 



Cotton Variety Tests. 



Cotton varieties have been tested on three experiment fanns of the 

 State for thirteen years. More than one hundred different varieties 

 have been studied in these tests. The varieties are fair representatives 

 of the most productive long-staple upland and short-staple varieties 

 grown in the cotton states. Three varieties have been compared during 

 the entire thirteen years and several have been compared during periods 

 of five years. 



Results from a one, or even two, year test may be misleading on 

 account of the mixed condition and poor care given most of our cotton 

 seed. The fact that a variety yields highest in one test does not prove 

 it to be the best variety in the test. Some varieties have yielded well 

 one year and poorly the next. Varieties which never lead the test may, 

 by consistent yielding from year to year, produce a higher average yield 

 than a variety which leads the test one year. In recent years our most 

 consistent varieties have been those whicli have received some care in 

 their breeding and handling. A variety which gives a consistently good 

 yield is worth more than one which fluctuates from good to poor. The 

 way to be sure of a good variety is to improve it by selecting good seed 

 in the community where it is to be grown. 



Results of the Test in 1915. 



During the past season forty-four varieties of cotton have been tested. 

 Twenty-four varieties were secured out of the State and twenty came 

 from points within the State. A special effort was made to secure 

 representative varieties from the different sections of the State. All of 

 the varieties were included in the test at Raleigh ; but only the most 

 promising for those sections have been included at the Iredell and 

 Edgecombe farms. For instance, the long-staple and big-boll varieties 

 require a longer season than is usually had at the Iredell farm. For 

 this reason only the early varieties were grown there. At the Edgecombe 

 farm, where the season is longer, our best results have been gotten from 

 the large and medium boll, short-stai)le varieties and the early long- 

 staple cottons. The results at this farm have been omitted from this 

 report on account of the irregular stand. A portion of the plats were 

 destroyed by root lice. 



