MARKETING COTTON SEED FOR PLANTING PURPOSES. 5 



and preserving the varietal purity and identity of cotton seed to be 

 used or sold for planting purposes. 



Xo attempt should be made to gin cotton that is " green " or that 

 has become damp, as it is difficult to prevent the seed from such cot- 

 ton from becoming " heated " in storage. An important precaution- 

 ary measury which always should be kept in mind is the prevention 

 of the admixture of varieties at the gin. Before changing from one 

 variety to another the roll box should be emptied and, together with 

 the flues, feeders, conveyers, bins, should be thoroughly cleaned. 

 This factor has been discussed fully in a previous publication of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. 4 



DELINTING. 



Delinting is one of the most important factors essential to the 

 preparation of the ideal planting cotton seed. It is evident that any 

 process which removes the surplus lint without impairing the germi- 

 nation is of prime importance in the improvement of cotton seed for 

 planting purposes and the same interest should be manifested in de- 

 linting as in maintaining the purity of variety, trueness to type, or 

 other factors pertaining to the cotton from which the seed is selected. 



From a commercial point of view, delinting offers dealers an op- 

 portunity to improve the quality and intrinsic value of their product 

 and to maintain the grade of it at a higher level than the average 

 farmer's stock or what is termed " gin-run "■ seed. 



AGRICULTURAL ADVANTAGES. 



The delinting process offers decided possibilities for bettering 

 agricultural practice. It promotes a uniform stand of plants by en- 

 abling the seed to germinate more quickly and with the aid of less 

 moisture. In "gin-run" seed, regardless of variety or strain, there 

 is usually a wide variation in the quantity of lint left on the in- 

 dividual seeds, as is shown in figure 1, a and c. When planted, the 

 Is v\ ith the shortest lint on them come into closer contact with the 

 Soil moisture and germinate more quickly than those containing ex- 

 cessive lint. The delinted seeds, containing a small, uniform quantity 

 of very short lint or fuzz (see figure 1, h and d), germinate at prac- 

 tically tie- -line time and produce a more nearly perfect stand of 

 plant- at |ca-t two or three days earlier. This is of value in growing 

 cotton in tin' presence of the boll weevil because every day gained 



in getting the plant- above tie- ground increases the prospects of 



obtaining a profitable yield. Delinting materially assists in the 

 emergence of cotton seedlings. In germinating the seed is forced up 



»8i indei D a and Cardon, e. \ . : Cu torn Ginning aa a Factor In Cottonseed De 

 Departmenl of Agriculture, Bulletin 288. LfllC 



