428 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



An average of nearly 50 mature bolls per plant presented themselves at one 

 time. The first picking was made September 12, as compared viath September 

 8 for the Sea Island strains. The lint is classified as a very fair grade of 

 American Upland in length. 



The Caravouica class of cottons, including the 3 strains designated as wool, 

 silk, and kidney, were also under test. The results bring out the heavy yield- 

 ing power of this class. It is estimated that 2-year-old plants of these strains 

 produced in a series of 10 specimens an average yield of 104, 70, and 57 oz. of 

 seed cotton per plant, respectively, during a period of about 12 months. Owing 

 to neglect of the plants, which had not been tilled, irrigated, or pruned during 

 the year, the quality of the fiber had greatly deteriorated. Caravouica wool 

 from the same stock of seed used by the station, but planted in a well sheltered 

 spot January 0, 1908, began bearing in August and has continued to fruit almost 

 uninterruptedly up to the present time. The 3 best plants during the first 12 

 months of growth produced 36, 40, and 48 oz. of lint, respectively. The quality 

 of the lint produced was exceptionally good. 



Pruning experiments were conducted with Sea Island cotton. In one test 

 plants were cut back to within 3 or 4 in. of the ground, and in the other to from 

 12 to 20 in. or to about i to * their original growth. No laterals were per- 

 mitted on the low pruned plants, but spurs of 2 to 4 buds were left on the long 

 pruned canes. Results at present indicate that the best growth is secured from 

 low pruning in January, plants so treated making the strongest and most 

 uniform growth of wood, and appearing most prolific. The results also seem 

 to show that Sea Island cotton will adapt itself to culture as a perennial. 



Cuttings made of branches and from immature wood of Caravouica plants 

 gave indifferent results, but under a second test when cuttings were made from 

 the tip end the intermediate portion, and the base of the best formed and most 

 fruitful branches of Sea Island and Caravonica plants, about 50 per cent of all 

 the cuttings planted rooted and made a satisfactory growth. Caravonica root 

 cuttings practically all grew, and are making a fine growth, while Upland 

 cuttings failed entirely. With Sea Island the base cuttings rooted best while 

 with the Caravonica the tip cuttings gave the largest percentage of strong 

 plants. In 100 days the cuttings showed a growth of from 12 to 30 in. and 

 squares were forming on some of the advanced plants. 



Fertilizer experiments with cotton, J. N. Harper {South Carolina Sta. Bui. 

 I'lS, pp. 3-31, pis. 10). — This bulletin presents data indicating the effect pro- 

 duced in cotton culture by the judicious use of commercial fertilizers, the rota 

 tion of crops, the application of farm manures, and the use of improved farm- 

 ing implements. The investigation has not been completed and the results here 

 given cover only a few years' work. 



The plan of the experiment is to study various fertilizing ingredients in vary- 

 ing amounts when applied to cotton in a rotation. The plats have been in cotton 

 and fertilized for 3 years. In 1909 all the plats are growing winter oats, which 

 will be followed by cowpeas and the cowpeas by rye, which will be plowed 

 under in the spring of 1910. That year all plats will again be planted to cotton 

 with hairy vetch, crimson clover, or bur clover as a fall catch crop. In 1911 

 the plats will be planted in corn and cowpeas, and in the fall of that year oats 

 will again be sown. In 1912 the plats will be in oats, followed by cowpeas, and 

 these in turn by rye, which will be plcnved under in the spring of 1913 and the 

 plats again planted to cotton. More than 100 plats will be used in this ex- 

 periment. 



Before this work was begun the land had been planted in cotton, oats, and 

 corn for a number of years. In 1905 it was planted with Marlboro Prolific 

 corn, fertilized with 400 lbs. of a complete fertilizer to the acre, and the yield 



