ABSTRACTS OF BULLETINS OF TOE AliF.lCULTllRAL EXFEPlIMENT STATIONS IN TIIE 



UNITED STATES. 



Alabama College Station, Bulletin No. 13 (New Series), March, 1890 (pp. 16,). 



• A MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF CERTAIN VARIETIES OF COTTON, P. H. 



Mell, Pii. D, — This includes a brief description of the three important 

 commercial varieties of cotton ; a definition of cotton fiber ; a list of the 

 varieties examined ; statements of results and conclusions ; suggestions 

 as to the improvement of the grade of cotton by attention to selection 

 of the seed, character of the soil, methods of cultivation and manuring, 

 and climatic conditioss ; tabulated results of the microscopical exam- 

 ination of the fiber ; and two plates illustrating differences in the fibers 

 of different varieties of cotton. 



Samples of cotton representing eighteen varieties grown on the sta- 

 tion farm — sea-island cotton from Savannah, Georgia, and "Bailey" 

 fiber from North Carolina — were examined microscopically. 



Among the questions considered were: " (1) How many real varieties 

 of cotton exist ? (2) In forcing the plant under high cultivation is the 

 fiber improved, or is simply the ' weed' enlarged to the detriment of 

 the staple ? Is it not often the case that the fruit of the cotton plant 

 is damaged by too rapid maturing, just as the fruit of the peach is 

 known to be immature at the center in some early forced varieties ? 

 (3) What is the effect produced on the fiber when caught by frost just 

 as the boll opens ? (4) At what stage of tlie growth and maturity of 

 the boll does the fiber attain its full development ?" 



Data relating to only the first two questions are reported in this bul- 

 letin, the investigations on the other two not having been carried fiir 

 enough to warrant the publication of conclusions. Results of micro- 

 scopical examinations are given in detail and summarized in tabular 

 form. The experiments indicate " that it is not always the large plant 

 that produces the best condition of the fiber, and that the most excel- 

 lent condition of the fiber is produced only on plants which are neither 

 too rapid nor slow in their development, and which are given all 

 the advantages of judicious cultivation with the proper manuring and 

 under the most favorable conditions of the atmosphere. In improving 

 the grade of cotton the plant must be forced to produce fiber that is 

 (1) long, and as nearly as possible uniform in length ; (2) of uniform 

 diameter throughout ; (3) flat and ribbon-like, and well twisted." Seed 



