12 Journal of the Mitchell Society [ May 
the best short staple sorts. I have, therefore, from the first exam- 
ined only the most productive plants, and of these only the ones 
which show an increase in length of lint are selected for breeding. 
I give the plants a distance of 4 by 4 or 5 by 5 feet and have inci- 
dentally made the interesting discovery that on good soils these 
distances produce more cotton than the usual farm method of 
crowding in the drill. I find it a good plan to have two breeding 
plats, one on heavy and one on light soil, putting part of the seed 
of each mother plant on each plat under the same breeding num- 
ber. Before selection is begun I take one seed with lint attached 
from each of a dozen plants on each breeding row and mount 
them. By a comparison of these a quick approximation can be 
made of the average performance of each breeding number in 
length and percentage of lint. Selections are then made from 
every number not palpably deficient in some cardinal point, for I 
find it impossible to judge with the eye the relative yield of differ- 
ent rows of cotton. A record of the exact yield of each row on 
both plats is, therefore, kept and if the same number shows max- 
imum yields as well as other desirable qualities on both the light 
and heavy soil rows, there can be little question of the inherent 
quality of the selections made from it. Selections from rows of 
poor yield are, of course, discarded unless very exceptional. 
My best number last season showed a production about 10 per 
cent greater in both plats than any other row. It was also quite 
satisfactory in length and percentage of lint, largeness of boll and 
other desirable characteristics, and I hope to make from it a vari- 
ety as good as, or better than Columbia. 
The low yield of corn throughout the cotton belt is presumptive 
evidence of both poor seed and inferior cultural methods. 
The latter is being rapidly remedied, largely through the agita- 
tion begun by Mr. E. Mclver Williamson of my own County, 
(Darlington County, S. C.) who has perfected a method of cul- 
ture that not only produces large crops, but rapidly improves the 
soil. 
Such com breeding work as is now being carried on so gener- 
ally and successfully in the middle states is almost unknown to 
the South. Here and there, intelligent farmers have improved 
