THE ESSENTIALS OF AGRICULTURE 



EXERCISES 



1. The cotton plant. Study ten or more stalks in a row where 

 the stand is very good, and note the method of branching, kinds of 

 branches found, length of internodes, and the number, size, and 

 character of the bolls. 



2. Fiber. By the aid of a comb, gently straighten the fiber adher- 

 ing to the seeds of some of the known varieties of cotton, studying 

 the length of fiber on different portions of the seed. Determine the 

 relative weight of lint and seed. 



3. Weigh the seed cotton from some of the best stalks and some 

 average stalks and estimate the relative yield per acre. 



4. Effect of soil on crop. When possible, study one or more vari- 

 eties in different types of soil, noting height of main stalk, length of 

 branches, number of bolls, size of bolls, prevalence of fungous diseases, 

 time of maturity, storm-resistant characters, quality of lint, etc. Ascer- 

 tain previous cropping of the field, and offer explanations of differences 

 of yield on different plantations. 



5. Best varieties and their culture. Secure data from your com- 

 munity regarding the following points in the cultivation of cotton: 

 spacing in rows ; methods of cultivation and reasons for practice fol- 

 lowed ; the yield of different varieties ; variations in the yield of the 

 same variety on different soils. 



REFERENCES 



DUGGAR, J. F. Southern Field Crops. The Macmillan Company. 

 Cotton Selection on the Farm by the Characters of the Stalks, Leaves, and 



Bolls, Circular 66, Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Department 



of Agriculture. 

 Factors Affecting the Production of Long-Staple Cotton, Circular 123, 



Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Department of Agriculture. 

 Varieties of American Upland Cotton, Bulletin 163, Bureau of Plant 



Industry, United States Department of Agriculture. 

 Sea Island Cotton, its Culture, Improvement, and Disease, Bulletin 302, 



United States Department of Agriculture. 

 A Method of Breeding Early Cotton to Escape Boll-Weevil Damage, 



Bulletin 314, United States Department of Agriculture. 

 A Profitable Cotton Farm, Bulletin 364, United States Department of 



Agriculture. 



