4 BULLETIN 1030, U, S. DEPAETMEINT OF AGRICULTURE. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY. 



The following description of the Meade variety has been published 

 (<?) in connection with the distribution of seeds : 



Plant erect, of average height, with regular internodes of medium length on 

 both the main stalk and on the vegetative branches. Internodes of the fruiting 

 branches rather long, with little tendency to take the shortened " cluster " form. 

 Leaves of medium size and rather thin texture, not deeply cut, a larger pro- 

 portion with only three lobes than in most varieties. Involucral bracts of 

 medium size, not exceeding the bolls, with 10 slender teeth. Bolls medium size, 

 with a thin bur, opening readily even under humid conditions. Seeds large, about 

 3,000 to the pound, nearly naked after the lint has been removed, brownish 

 black, slightly tufted at either end. Lint li to Hi inches in length, uniform, 

 with good luster, slightly heavier bodied than Sea Island cotton, scarcely dis- 

 tinguishable from Sea Island when properly ginned. Lint percentage, 26 ; 

 lint index, 5.5. 



VEGETATIVE CHARACTERS LIKE SHORT-STAPLE COTTON. 



Though not without distinctive plant characters, Meade cotton has 

 the general appearance and behavior of many of the Upland long- 

 staple and short-staple varieties; for the shape of the plant, the 

 character of the leaves, the earliness in fruiting, and the size of the 

 bolls are ver^^ similar to the ordinary Upland sorts. The fiber, how- 

 ever, is so long and fine that when ginned on a roller gin it is freeh^ 

 accepted on the Sea Island markets on a par with the true Sea Island 

 cotton. 



As grown in the Southeastern States, Meade cotton or the " long 

 short cotton," as it is sometimes called by the farmers, produces a 

 fiber from 1^ to If inches in length under favorable conditions, sel- 

 dom falling below 1^^ and sometimes attaining If inches. (PI. I.) 



The fiber on the seed of the Meade variety shows little tendency to 

 "butterfly," that is, to shorten the fibers at the base of the seed, 

 which was one of the undesirable traits of the older Upland long- 

 staple varieties, such as the Floradora, Sunflower, and Allen. 



The seeds are large and brownish black, naked on the sides, like 

 Sea Island and Egyptian, with a small tuft of white fuzz at either 

 end. (Pis. I and II.) 



MEADE COTTON ADAPTED TO SEA ISLAND CONDITIONS. 



With its early, quick- fruiting habits, long and silky fiber, and 

 smooth seeds, permitting the use of roller gins, the new Meade va- 

 riety seemed to be the only Upland cotton promising any measure of 

 success as a substitute for Sea Island cotton, and with these facts in 

 view work was begun five years ago to adjust the new variety to the 

 local conditions on the Sea Islands of South Carolina. 



In 1916 small experimental plantings of the Meade cotton were 

 made on these islands for the purpose of studying the behavior of 

 the variety under eastern conditions. Promising results were se- 



