LESSONS ON COTTON FOR RURAL COMMON SCHOOLS. 7 



Next in importance to prolificacy or number of bolls is their size, 

 shape, and manner of opening. Large bolls yield more cotton 

 per boll than do small ones. There is also a difference in the average 

 size of the bolls on different plants of any single variety. The prefer- 

 ence should be given to the plants bearing the larger bolls, provided, 

 of course, that the quality of lint is maintained and the increase 

 in size fully compensates for the decrease in number. 



The shape or form should bo true to that peculiar to the particular 

 variety shown. Uniformity in shape or form in plants and fruit shows 

 good breeding and also suggests ability to transmit desirable qualities 

 to the progeny. Consequently it is of value to the plant breeder. As 

 the bolls are of different shapes cut from one-half to one point as the 

 number departing greatly from the variety shape increases. Special 

 attention should be given to malformed bolls. 



The way in which the mature bolls open is of importance. The 

 opening should be such as to make the cotton easy to pick, but at 

 the same time it should not be such as to cause easy shedding of lint. 

 For the best opening bolls give the plant a rating of 5 points. If the 

 opening is only fair make a cut of from 1 to 1 1. 



3. Yield of Seed Cotton. 



Yield of seed cotton, while depending on the qualities already 

 discussed, that is, the right kind of a plant and a sufficiently large 

 number of bolls of good size and shape, should have considerable 

 weight in fixing the value of superior rating of any cotton exhibit. 



After the exhibit has been rated as to prolificacy and size of bolls, 

 select a fixed number, say 10 four-locked or five-locked bolls already 

 opened, pick the seed cotton from these bolls, determine the yield 

 from these bolls, and then from this average calculate the yield 

 from the entire 10 plants constituting the exhibit. Give the best 

 yielding lot a rating of 30 points. Then as others yield less and less 

 give them a maximum accordingly. 



After total yield lias been rated attention must be given to the per- 

 centage of lint produced by the different lots of cotton to be judged. 

 This is given a possible rating of 12 points, which should be assigned 

 oidy to samples showing not less than 35 per cent of the lint to the 

 cotton seed. For each and every 1 per cent below 33 the sample 

 should 1)0 given a cut of 1 point. Thus if a sample should only show 

 25-per cent lint it should receive a cut of 10 points, which, deducted, 

 from the possible score of 12 points, indicating perfection, leaves 

 only 2 points to the credit of the sample. 



The percentage of lint should be determined by taking the contents 

 of a few bolls from each sample, placing them in the sun, or, bett< . 

 in a dry room, for a period sufficiently long to bring the samples to a 



