20 



BULLETIN 526, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



cent. The greater yield of the old-method rows at the first picking 

 is in itself an evidence of the fact that the thinning of the single-stalk 

 rows was too late to give the best results, but, as not infrequently 

 happens, the loss was more than made good by the increased yield of 

 the single-stalk rows at the second picking. 



Table XIII. — Roiv yields obtained in a single-stalk culture experiment with cotton 

 conducted in 1915 by W. K. Benson, Battleboro, N. C. 





Yield of seed cotton (pounds). 



Row. 



First picking. 



Second picking. 



Total. 





Single 

 stalk. 



Old 



method. 



Single 

 stalk. 



Old 



method. 



Single 

 stalk. 



Old 



method. 



No.i 



51 

 51 

 58 

 53 

 53 

 58 

 64 

 60 

 59 

 57 



49 

 65 

 62 

 71 

 63 

 72 

 80 

 72 

 78 

 74 



35 

 34 

 38 

 43 

 40 

 37 

 35 

 32 

 32 

 27 



24 

 14 

 9 

 8 

 11 

 7 

 5 



86 

 85 

 96 

 96 

 93 

 95 

 99 

 92 

 91 

 84 



73 



No. 2 



79 



No. 3 



71 



No. 4 



79 



No. 5 



74 



No 6 



79 



No. 7 



85" 



No.8 



72 



No. 9 





78 



No. 10 





74 









Total 



564 



686 353 



78 



917 

 153 

 20 



764 





122 

 22 



275 

 353 





















The Draughon experiment. — Mr. L. L. Draughon, of Whitakers, used 

 Cleveland Big Boll cotton in his experiment, there being 28 rows in 

 all. The two systems of culture were compared in alternate rows. 

 Thinning was completed in a fairly satisfactory manner, though a 

 little later than was advisable for single-stalk culture. 



Mr. Draughon reports that it was impossible to get pickers in time 

 for the first picking and consequently the cotton remained unpicked 

 until late in November. Undoubtedly much cotton was lost mean- 

 time, particularly from the single-stalk rows. Only total yields were 

 reported, and these were 1,074 pounds for single-stalk culture and 

 1,004 for the old method, a difference of 70 pounds, or 7 per cent, 

 in favor of single-stalk culture. 



The Felton experiment. — Mr. W. R. Felton, of Conetoe, chopped the 

 single-stalk rows of his experiment in such a manner as to leave the 

 plants standing in bunches, which, however, probably suppressed the 

 development of vegetative branches in much the same manner as 

 single-stalk culture. He reported the yields which are given in Table 

 XIV. Only one picking was made, on November 2, probably after 

 some cotton had fallen from the bolls. 



Table XIV shows that in all but 4 of the 14 instances, single-stalk 

 rows yielded more cotton than old-system rows, giving an 8 per cent 

 increase for the new method. In reporting the above yields Mr. 

 Felton stated: "I am satisfied that the thick rows would have made 

 a better showing had they been properly thinned." 



