MARKETING COTTON SEED FOE, PLANTING PURPOSES. 



13 



fully ; consequently progress in developing machines for the purpose 

 has been slow. Also cotton seed as it ordinarily comes from the gin 

 still contains sufficient lint to prevent the seeds from separating read- 

 ily. This makes recleaning and grading difficult and probably ac- 

 counts for a number of unsuccessful attempts to operate various 

 machines now on the market. If properly delinted, however, as de- 

 scribed on page 10, the surplus lint is removed, leaving the seed in 

 such a condition that recleaning and grading is greatly facilitated. 



Fig. 6. — Cotton seed : a, Gin-run ; 6, closely delinted, showing black hull of seeds. 



Natural size. 



The low average yield per acre is the greatest factor affecting the 

 profitableness of the cotton-growing industry. Any practice result- 

 ing in an increased yield with only slight additional cost tends to 

 lower the net cost of production per pound. In experiments con- 

 ducted by the Bureau of Plant Industry, 7 graded seed produced 

 from 88| pounds, or 8.25 per cent, to 103 pounds, or 10.9 per cent, 

 more seed cotton per acre than ungraded seed. In preparing the 

 I used in these experiments for grading it was necessary to roll 



'Webber, Herbert .1 . and Boykln, B, B i The Advantage of Planting Heavy « '<>( i<>n- 

 •eed, U. s. Department, of Agriculture, Parmer ' Bulletin 285. 1907. 



