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COTTON GROWING 



maturing, length of lint, size of boll, shape of plant and other 

 features. It is possible for a grower to select the variety which 

 suits his purpose best and then by annually selecting seed with 

 great care from among the plants of his field or seed plot, he may 

 improve the strain or make it more suited to his soil surroundings 

 and his own ideals. Varieties which mature their crop in a short 

 period of time, make their growth rapidly and have short inter- 

 nodes and have short boll stems or limbs are most resistant to 

 the attacks of the boll-weevil and are more popular in sections 

 where the boll-weevil has become injurious. The King type of 

 variety fulfills these requirements fairly well; it is of the small- 

 boll type. Besides the true King variety may be mentioned 

 Peterkin and Welborn, which are of the same type. 



FIG. 190. Stages in the development of the cotton boll. A, the unopened boll; B. 

 boll partly opened; C, boll fully opened showing locks of fibre; D, the empty, pod after the 

 lock-cotton has been gathered. (Productive Farm Crops.) 



The big-boll type is also much desired by some growers. The 

 size of boll under this type seems to be associated also with its 

 resistance to storm, as the bolls do not open and expose the lint 

 so badly as some others. Varieties of this type are Duncan, 

 Texas, Stormproof, Jones Improved, Russell and Truitt. 



Another popular type of upland cotton is known as the long 

 staple type. The lint brings a higher price in the market, but the 

 yield is usually not so great. Good varieties of the long staple 

 cotton are Allan, Cook, and Griffin. In these the boll is long, 

 slender and pointed. The seeds are rather large and weigh more 

 than twice as much as the lint after ginning. As long staple varieties 

 are late in maturing they are not used in the boll-weevil districts. 



