126 COTTOX CULTURE. 



proceeds of his entire crop for two years ; but at this 

 time there is not a seed of it growing, to my knowledge." 



Some varieties, as the "Brown" and the "Multiboll," 

 and the u Okra," under favorable circumstances, produce 

 a plant that is very prolific in bolls, sometimes throwing 

 out twice as many as a common seed. But an objection 

 is very properly made to them, that the cotton hangs 

 loosely from the open boll, so that, if a stormy day occurs 

 in the latter part of October, or early in November, when 

 the fields are the whitest, a large part of the open cotton 

 is blown out and wasted. This is probably more than an 

 offset to the greater facility of picking. 



As a summary of the whole matter of varieties in cot- 

 ton seed, a careful perusal of nearly every thing that has 

 been written upon the subject, together with the verbal 

 testimony of a large number of excellent planters, has 

 brought me to the following conclusions : 



I. Every cotton grower, who cultivates a good cotton 

 soil in the best part of the cotton belt, (the region be- 

 tween thirty-two and thirty-three north latitude,) can, in 

 a few years, produce a choice variety of cotton seed by 

 taking pains with any of the ordinary seed. 



II. This improvement is brought about by carefully 

 selecting the best bolls that open before frost, regard be- 

 ing had sometimes to the number of bolls upon the plant, 

 and sometimes to the fineness and softness of the staple. 

 By selecting the former, he may produce a seed famous 

 for its productiveness. By taking the latter, the variety 

 may have a high repute for the superior quality of the 

 lint. After ginning, the seed is sorted over, and well cared 

 for until the planting time of another year. 



III. All these improved varieties are quite certain to 

 " play out " in a few years, unless the same pains are taken 

 to sustain the character of the seed that were used to pro- 

 duce it. In other words, no variety will remain superior 

 unless the seed cotton is selected with care. 



