HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 19 
of desirable strains that would be required for securing the necessary 
hybrids, and in fact all that line of work which has to do with bring- 
ing the necessary forces together to make or create exactly what is 
wanted in the way of early maturing sorts and good yielding sorts. 
The Cuarrman. And that, of necessity, would be a slow process. 
Mr. Gatioway. Necessarily a slow process. In addition to that 
line of work, one of the most important I think in the entire field would 
have to do with a better method of securing by selection and develop- 
ment stock seed for planting. It is a well-known fact that the cotton 
seed that is used for planting is more or less constantly deteriorating, 
owing to the demand for cotton seed in the production of oil and for 
other purposes. I believe that, taking the matter of seed selection 
alone, the cotton crop of the country within a reasonable time, with 
seed selection and good cultivation, could be doubled. I do not think 
that is an exaggerated statement. I believe that if attention should be 
given to the breeding up of what might be called stock seed—and I do 
not think it is a function of the Government to continue that work 
any longer than simply to demonstrate the fact that it can be done— 
that we could secure results which would develop the output of cotton 
fully one-half; that is, instead of having 10,000,000 bales we would 
have 15,000,000 bales. 
The CHarrman. That would reduce the price, would it not? 
Mr. Gattoway. I do not think it would. I think the demand for 
cotton is increasing. 
Mr. Bowin. Three years ago we thought it would be a calamity to 
have as many as 10,000,000 bales. Now it is regarded as a calamity 
not to have that many. That is the way the conditions have changed. 
Mr. Gattoway. There seems to be a world-wide demand for more 
cotton. 
The Cuarreman. You think the use of the seed for meal and cake 
has resulted in the deterioration of the seed used by the planters, do 
you, Doctor? 
Mr. Gattoway. I think it has. 
The CHarrman. That is natural. 
Mr. Gatioway. Because there is a constant demand. The seed is 
rushed right to the mills, and you can hardly find a farmer who is 
giving the attention to the selection of his stock seed that he ought to 
give; and the evidence that we have as to results procured in the matter 
of breeding, by selection, high-yielding types of corn is valuable in that 
connection. ‘That work is now being carried on by private firms in 
Illinois and other places; but the feasibility of it was demonstrated by 
experiment-station workers and others. It has shown an increase in 
production in many cases of 25, 30, and 40 per cent. That is true, 
things being equal. autle 
So that in the matter of securing these high-grade or high-yielding 
types of cotton, the average yield this year of cotton lint is about 174 
pounds to the acre. We find many instances in the South where they 
get 600 and 700 pounds in individual cases. There is no reason why 
you could not develop the average yield by the selection of seed, 
because it is largely a question not so much of soil and surrounding 
conditions as it is badly selected and impovished seed. 
The Cuatrman. Has it been the custom for the planters to use a 
seed raised by themselves continually on the same land? 
