The Cotton Crop 215 



this, that, or the other variety, let him take the best seed 

 at hand and go to work to develop a plant that is suited 

 to his conditions. 



There are two general classes of the upland short staple 

 cotton, the large and the small boiled. It has been found 

 that bolls of extra size are almost invariably associated 

 with lateness in the crop, and while the crop may be 

 larger in a very favorable season its lateness is a drawback. 

 What is especially needed in the upper South, and the 

 weevil-infected sections of the lower South, is a cotton 

 plant of a compact habit, bearing bolls about two inches 

 apart on the stems, and hence a very short-jointed variety. 

 Bearing bolls in pairs or twins may increase the yield, but is 

 usually accompanied by very short staple, and the increase 

 in length of staple is one desirable character to introduce. 



The Department of Agriculture at Washington has for 

 years had expert plant breeders at work on the cotton 

 crop, and it would be well for intelligent breeders to get 

 some of the Department's improved seed to start with. 

 Then plant a seed patch, and keep ever in mind through 

 the season the ideal cotton plant you wish to produce, 

 and from the patch ehminate all inferior plants and select 

 seed only from the plants that come nearest to your ideal 

 both in habit and earliness. 



Then, instead of taking this cotton to the general gin- 

 nery have a small hand gin for the seed crop and you will 

 then be sure to get no mixture. Plant your crop with the 

 selected seed, and also plant another seed patch, always 

 looking toward the ideal plant and saving seed only from 

 the earUest ripening bolls, throwing all the rest into the 

 general crop. 



