54 The Bulletin. 



soil and climate. During this time tests have been made of seven 

 varieties in 1900 to twenty-seven in 1907 in the tests on the different 

 farms. It is felt from these accumulated data of eight 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 eight 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- 

 ences were 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, 

 915 pounds in 1906 with twenty-six varieties, and 758 pounds in 

 1907 with twenty-seven 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 pro- 

 lific 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 imperfect germina- 

 tion of the seed, or some other avoidable or unavoidable cause. 



WHAT A VARIETY SHOULD BE. 



A variety of cotton should be a group of plants having some special 

 excellencies, such as total yield of lint per acre, resistance to disease 

 and insect pests, etc., and the seed of which should be able to trans- 

 mit to their progeny, with certainty and without diminution, the ex- 

 cellent qualities of the parent plants. If the designated group of 

 plants does not have these qualities, then it is not worthy to be styled 

 a variety. Neither should the same variety have two names. 



EARLY MATURING VARIETIES. 



The earliest varieties, judged from the percentage of total cotton 

 open at first picking in the past three or four years' tests at the test 

 farms of the Department, are Dozier's Improved, King's Improved, 



