OTHER FARM CROPS 551 



yield less lint per acre than another variety. It is probably more a 

 question of seed than of lint. As the seed contains nearly all of the 

 valuable elements taken from the soil, it is but reasonable to expect 

 that a large yield of seed per acre will be attended by a correspond- 

 ingly large yield of lint. We have but little doubt that some vari- 

 eties that are popular with the mass of farmers because of their per- 

 centage of lint compared to seed simply produce less seed per acre 

 instead of more lint per acre. It remains true, however, that a small- 

 seeded variety small in size and small in percentage of the whole 

 is better for poor land and low culture than a variety having a nat- 

 urally large seed and a small percentage of lint. 



It is a well-established fact that large seeds will produce stronger 

 and more vigorous plants than small seeds of the same variety. Cot- 

 ton is no exception to the rule, and if bred to produce small seeds it 

 will be at the expense of the size, vigor, and health of the plant. A 

 heavy yield of good lint is the main object to be attained, but this 

 will not necessarily follow from a decrease in the size of the seed. 

 Of course, the planter cannot afford to increase the percentage of seed 

 at the expense of the lint, but if the pounds of lint per acre can be 

 maintained the greater the amount of seed the greater will be the 

 profit. Whether or not the weight of seed can safely be increased 

 without a decrease in the yield of lint is a matter which has received 

 almost no attention, but which is a promising field for the in- 

 vestigator. 



GROUPS OF VARIETIES. 



The short staple or upland varieties of cotton may conveniently 

 be divided into seven classes, and to these may be added the long 

 staple upland varieties as an eighth. Each of these general classes is 

 given a name, and when practicable, an idea of the manner of growth 

 of the plant. With each class name is associated the name of some 

 distinct and well known variety as a type or standard. These groups 

 are designated as (1) Cluster varieties, or Dickson type; (2) Semi- 

 cluster varieties, or Peerless type ; (3) Rio Grande varieties, or Peterkin 

 type; (4) The King-like varieties, or King type; (5) Big Boll varie- 

 ties or Truitt type; (6) Long Limb varieties, or Petit Gulf type; 

 (7) Intermediate varieties, or various types ; (8) Long Staple Upland 

 varieties, or Allen type. 



The lines of demarkation between these groups are not always 

 clear and distinct; one group often merges into another by almost 

 imperceptible gradations, just as is the case with related varieties. 

 Below is given a list of the varieties which are included under these 

 several groupings, and also a general description of the varieties com- 

 posing each class. Some varieties are not classified, either because of 

 insufficient data, or more frequently because badly mixed. In cases 

 of a medium degree of impurity, or variation, description has been 

 made of predominant type. 



Cluster Varieties, or Dickson Type. The most striking char- 

 acters are (1) the extreme shortness of the fruit limbs, and (2) the 

 tendency of the bolls to grow in clusters, often two and even three 

 from the same node. The plants are often tall and always slender 



