."»|(l .loi-KNAL OK TIIK 1 )Hl'AK'r.MKN'I' ()(■" AgKIci; i/i'UKil. 



holl-wcfvil. 'I'lic (laiua^'e doue l).\ pliik lioHwonn to tlic Hia/ilian 

 cctloii CIO]) ill 1!)17-11)US was (>stiiiialtMl a1 27. ')()().()()() dollars. 



It i1 is found alisolutcly iH-ccssaiy to iiii])oi1 sct-d, it sliould be 

 done oiii\ by tile 1 )('])ar1 iiitMi t and f^iown nndn llie >ui»fi\ ision of tlic 

 I)c[iarlnicii1, xi tliat cxfiy int'cant ion nia_\ lir taken a^ainsl inlro- 

 diu'in;^- cotton pi'sts, ihc seed tvoni the icvullinj^- crop l;cin<^' i-sucd to 

 fanners. 



St'lvcl inn nil llii /'iiini. -Jt x'cnis nct-es>ai_\ lliciidinc 1o adopt 

 vdiiK other \\ a \ ot ini])roving' inir cotton crop. ;iiid the scnindest 

 inetiiod a[>pears to lie seh'ctioii on ihe farm. 



A farnu'r may lin\' pure sa't] from his neiylihoar. hnl ihis srt-i] 

 will de<j;enerate in a tew u'eneiat nms if no selection is d(me. In the 

 first seasmi a lew plants onl\ may show different chaiactejs sueli a.s 

 small holls. short lint, or un])ro(iiicl i\ eiies.s, hiii if lhe\' are not dis- 

 carded we imiy expect a veiy considera1)ly iiici'eased niimher tlie 

 folhiMiny- Near. And even il the siH'd of such diseardeil plants is 

 rejected, tjiere can l)e no assurance that some of these de<^'eiieiato 

 (diaraeters will md ajijx'ar I he following' season. 



The work of the oidwci is. therefore, ne\>'r complete, and he 

 must eoiitiiiue to s(dect year hy year. To the begdiiiier the seltM'tioii 

 work may seem very diflicult, hut a little ])ractiee will so(m enable 

 him to distinu'uish ditfereiices l:(dwceii different varieties. ;ind latei- 

 im even l)et\veen diftereiit ])lants of the same varndy. 



There is always a great deal (d' variation in a cotton held. 

 Ditfereiices can be noticed between the iiidi\idual plants of an 

 unselected held, and even in the most carefully sfdected varieties of 

 cotton, where no crijssing with (dher varieties has taken jjlace, indivi- 

 dual variations a\va>' from the tyjie will appear. These variations 

 may occui' from a crossing of varieties or from a spontaneous mutative 

 \ariation. It a uniform variety of cotton is introduced into a diiferent 

 area and grown undei' new coiiditi(ms, a certain amount of individual 

 \ariaii,)n may also occur. 



( liiirdclcrs In Inn/,' /or. --When the grower goes in for seltMdi(m. 

 his aim must be not to change the (diaraeters of the selected y)lants. 

 but by selection to ])reserve the desired cliaracdeis and discaid any 

 uridesiral)le ones which may appear. H\ continually doing this, he 

 will gradually establish a uniform variety giving the highest exjires- 

 >ion of those characters aimed at. SelcMdion, therefore, is simply n 

 means of discarding or " rogueing "' out all those plants Avhi(di show 

 :iii expression oi undesirable or degenerate characters. 



Some i)laiits which show ncix suin'iior chaiacters will also lie 

 found in the held and may or may not be different to the ty])e .selected. 

 If these show some I'Xce])! iimal sujierioi' (diaiacler or combination of 

 characters, the seed fioin them may be used in the progcuN row tests. 



Bfd'ore deciding upon the type of cotton to he grown, it becomes 

 iiecessaiy to study the factors whicli constitute a desirable t\pe. 1die 

 tollowing are probably the most important of these: (1) lycngili and 

 streiigih of staple: (2) inoduct i\-eness ; (•'>) high percentage of lint: 

 I I) bilge l)olls; (5) storm resistance: ((i) early maturity: (7) 

 iiiii tormity ; and (S) disease-resisting (pialities. 



It is peih-.ii)s just as well to say sonu'thing about these tactors, 

 in order to sli.iw more clearl\- wli\ tliev are (h'sii-able. Tlie leii'_;th 



