THE TEXTILE PLANTS 53 



perimental purposes. It is probable that these 

 species will prove valuable when the method of 

 hybridization is applied to the development of 

 new races of cotton modified to meet special 

 needs. 



The cotton has a large, attractive flower, and 

 cross-fertilization occurs to a considerable extent 

 through the agency of bees and other insects. 

 There is no difficulty in hybridizing different 

 species. On the contrary, it is difficult to prevent 

 cross-pollination where different kinds of cotton 

 grow in the same vicinity. There is danger of 

 contamination of the strain of any particular 

 cotton in this way. But, on the other hand, there 

 is always the possibility of the production of new 

 and important varieties through such crossing. 



IMPROVEMENT THROUGH SELECTION 



Until very recently, as already intimated, the 

 improvement in cotton has taken place almost or 

 quite exclusively through the selection of seed, 

 without any conscious effort on the part of the 

 grower to predetermine the characters of the seed 

 by cross-fertilizing the parent plants. 



Indeed, until somewhat recently, cotton grow- 

 ers, in common with other agriculturists, have 

 been more or less oblivious to the need of care 

 in the selection of seed. And even now, accord- 



