30 Growing Sea Island Cotton Under Florida Conditions 



Before the advent of the boll weevil there were several so 

 called different strains of Sea Island cotton grown in the South- 

 eastern Belt. Among them might be mentioned such well 

 known strains as white and yellow Canova ; Sosnoski and 

 Seabrook. Each strain had certain peculiarities; some with 

 lint a little longer than others ; some with larger bolls ; some 

 more prolific ; and some strains difficult to pick. Seabrook, 

 on account of the sharp ends of the open bolls, has always 

 been one of the most difficult of the strains to pick. Some 

 of the strains were of very poor quality, having short, coarse, 

 uneven lint, and some were of high quality, having long, fine, 

 even lint. All Sea Island strains grown then were, however, 

 slow maturing. 



When the boll weevil drove Sea Island cotton from com- 

 mercial production about 1920, the U. S. Bureau of Plant 

 Industry selected a number of the more desirable strains of 

 Sea Island seed, and began making selections for their im- 

 provement. Practically all seed available now are from a 

 Seabrook selection, a few bushels of seed which were sent 

 to Trenton and Gainesville, Fla., in 1934. The Seabrook 

 selection seemed, all things considered, to be the most prom- 

 ising one, as it combined high quality long lint with earli- 

 ness of maturity. 



Poor strains of seed are, however, being offered for sale. 

 In some instances they are Seabrook seed that have been 

 allowed to become contaminated with upland cotton. In other 

 instances they are selections made by plant breeders who 

 bred for earliness of maturity and ease of picking, losing 

 sight of the necessity for maintaining quality and length of 

 lint. The U. S. Burenu of Plant Industry is going to consid- 

 erable expense to insure good planting seed. Better strains, 

 from time to time, no doubt, will be offered and Sea Island 

 growers are urged to plant only those strains approved by 

 the U. S. Bureau of Plant Industry. 



Necessity for Pure Seed 



Not only should care be exercised to secure a desirable 

 strain of seed^one that is inherently of good quality, but 

 every effort should be made to prevent them from becoming 

 contaminated with upland cotton. All fields from which 

 planting seed are selected should be carefully "rogued" dur- 

 ing the growing season, that is, all off-type or mixed plants 

 should be pulled out. Since crossing occurs between blos- 

 soms, as many of the off type plants as possible should be 

 destroyed before blossoms occur, or as soon afterwards as 



