COTTON BREEDING 59 



possess exceptional excellence. These good plants should 

 be marked by tying a white rag to one of the upper 

 branches. The breeder's problem is to select in this man- 

 ner the two or three hundred most desirable plants in his 

 entire crop. When this has been done, the selected plants 

 should then be given a more detailed examination. 



This second examination should comprise not only a 

 more detailed examination of the general structure of the 

 plant but also an examination of lint with reference to its 

 abundance and quality. Several seeds from different bolls 

 on the same plant should be procured, the fiber being 

 carefully parted down the middle of each seed and combed- 

 out straight by means of a small aluminum pocket comb. 

 After this has been done, the amount of lint on the seed 

 and the length, uniformity, and strength of the lint can be 

 easily judged. All plants should be discarded that are 

 found to be very inferior with regard to any of these char- 

 acters. As a result of this second examination, the number 

 of select plants will probably be reduced to 75 or 100. Be- 

 fore the seed cotton is picked from the select plants, they 

 should be carefully labeled and numbered. The seed cot- 

 ton from each plant should be placed in a small paper bag 

 which is given the same number as that of the plant. 

 These same bags can be taken to the field for the second 

 picking, being careful that all of the seed cotton secured 

 from each plant is kept to itself and properly numbered. 



66. Ginning cotton from select plants. Small gins, 

 suitable for ginning very small quantities of cotton can 

 now be secured. Often an arrangement can be made, 

 whereby a single gin can be disconnected from the stand 

 of gins and used for this purpose. In any event every 

 precaution should be taken to see that the product of each 

 plant is kept together. 



