22 



BULLETIN 526, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Table XV shows that in each of the 15 instances single-stalk 

 culture gave a greater yield than the old system, the total increase 

 being 117 pounds, or 20 per cent. 



The Wright experiment. — Mr. W. I. Wright planted one-half bushel 

 of Shnpkins cotton per acre on April 20. Owing to unfavorable 

 weather, only a poor stand was obtained, and later the stand was 

 further reduced by aphids, causing much leaf-curl. There were several 

 short reaches in each row, however, where it was possible to apply 

 single-stalk culture. It was believed that these places would affect 

 the total yield of the rows to a degree which would indicate what 

 might have been expected had it been possible to apply the method 

 the full length of the rows. 



The old-method rows were thinned on May 25, when the plants were 

 3 to 5 inches high and had 3 to 5 leaves. It was possible to space the 

 plants in these rows about 18 inches apart with fair regularity. In 

 the single-stalk rows, which were thinned on June 25, when the plants 

 were about 10 inches high and had 6 to 8 leaves, the plants were 

 spaced about 8 inches apart wherever the stand permitted. 



There were 16 rows in the experiment, each 408 yards long. In 10 

 of these, comparisons were made in alternate rows; in the 6 remain- 

 ing rows the comparison was made in adjoining blocks of 3 rows each. 

 Two pickings were made. The yields obtained, as reported by Mr. 

 Wright, are given in Table XVI. 



Table XVI. — Row yields obtained in a single-stalk culture experiment with cotton con- 

 ducted in 1915 by W. I. Wright, Ingold, 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. 



Alternate rows: 



No. 1 



211 

 177 

 177 

 154 

 179 



209 

 193 

 197 



194 

 158 

 153 

 146 

 137 



187 

 184 

 188 



39 

 43 

 45 

 48 

 43 



34 

 37 

 35 



37 

 44 

 51 

 50 

 32 



37 

 41 

 33 



250 

 220 

 222 

 202 

 222 



243 

 230 

 232 



231 



No. 2 



202 



No. 3 



204 



No. 4 



196 





169 



Adjoining blocks: 



No. 6 



224 



No. 7 



225 



No. 8 



221 







Total 



1,497 



150 



11 



1,347 



324 



325 



1 



0.3 



1,821 

 149 



9 



1,672 







Increase per cent. . 















Table XVI shows that in each of the eight instances single-stalk 

 culture yielded more cotton at the first picking, the total difference 

 being 150 pounds, or 11 per cent. At the second picking the old 

 method had a very slight, quite negligible, advantage. In total 

 yield the single-stalk rows had an advantage of 9 per cent. The 



