332 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



Some of the widely grown big-boll varieties are Triumph, Cleveland, 

 Truitt, Russell, etc. Triumph originated in Texas and is grown extensively 

 there. It shows considerable storm resistance, has big bolls, is easy to 

 pick and yields well under boll-weevil conditions. Cleveland has medium 

 size bolls and is medium early, but it lacks storm resistance. Russell is 

 late in maturing, has many large green seed and turns out a low percentage 

 of lint. 



Cook Improved is a leading variety whose bolls are scarcely large 

 enough to belong to the big-boll group. The type of plant is variable. 

 This variety yields a high percentage of lint, is earl}- and easily picked and 

 has stood at the top in yield of seed cotton in many experiments. However, 

 it has two faults — a tendency to boll-rot (Anthracnose) , and a lack of storm 

 resistance. 



Long-Staple Upland Group. — The chief characteristic of this group is 

 the length of its fiber, which measures from 1| to 1| inches long. Most 

 long staple varieties are late and, therefore, are not suited for that part of 

 the country infested with boll-weevils. The percentage of lint is lower 

 than the other upland varieties, but it commands a premium of three or 

 four cents a pound. Some of the better known long-staple varieties are 

 Webber, Griffin and Allen Long-Staple. 



Desired Qualities of a Variety. — By careful selection, the type of plant 

 or yield of seed cotton of any common variety may be greatly improved in a 

 few years. 



Some of the desirable qualities of a variety are : 



(1) Large yield of lint. 



(2) Medium to large size bolls that are easy to pick. 



(3) Plants that are true to type and healthy. 



(4) Medium earliness with some storm resistance. 



Selection. — Field selection is the one method most frequently employed 

 to improve a variety of cotton. It consists in sending a picker, who is 

 familiar with the points to be improved, ahead of the other pickers to select 

 the best plants and to pick the well-matured bolls on them. In this way a 

 few hundred pounds of well-selected seed cotton is gathered and then 

 carefully ginned. The next year the selected seeds are planted in a well- 

 prepared and fertilized field away from the other varieties for a seed patch. 

 From the seed patch selection is made in the same way as the year before 

 in the field. By repeating this operation for several years a variety may 

 be greatly improved. However, no variety will continue pure if the seeds 

 are handled at the public gins in the usual careless way. 



Soils Adapted to Cotton. — Cotton is grown on all types of soil from the 

 light sandy to the heavy clays, from the badly eroded hills to the rich 

 alluvial bottoms. However, in this wide range of soils are planted many 

 acres that would yield a better income if they were planted in some other 

 crop. It is the low yield of the poorly adapted acres that makes cotton an 

 unprofitable crop on so many farms. 



