56 BULLETIN 1155, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
near the surface. On isolated fields with better drainage and on the 
lighter soil types good corn crops are grown, but at the station the 
results have not been satisfactory. 
GRAIN SORGHUMS. 
Several varieties of grain sorghum have been tested at the Biggs 
Rice Field Station. These include Dwarf Yellow milo, Standard 
Yellow milo, Dawn kafir, Sunrise kafir, Dwarf broom corn, Acme broom 
corn, and feterita. Good stands have been obtained with the sor- 
ghums each year, but the yields obtained have not been encouraging. 
The high water table checked growth, resulting in poor yields. On 
isolated fields with no submerged rice near, better growth and yields 
have been observed. Of the varieties tested, Dwarf Yellow milo was 
best. 
COTTON. 
In cooperation with the Office of Crop Acclimatization and Adap- 
tation Investigations of the Bureau of Plant Industry several va- 
rieties of cotton have been grown at the Biggs Rice Field Station. 
In 1918 five varieties, Meade, Pima, Durango, Acala, and Lone 
Star, were included in the experiment. Good stands of each variety 
were obtained. Early in the season the cotton was irrigated about 
once every 18 days. The land was cultivated after each irrigation 
and often enough to retain a good mulch on the surface of the soil. 
The growth, while slow, was healthy in appearance until August, 
when it was noted that the plants had stopped growing and were 
turning yellow. Water was not applied after this condition was ob- 
served, but the plants failed to recover their normal appearance. 
The varieties began to flower on August 14. Growth was short, 
the plants had a sickly pale-yellow color, and very few bolls formed, 
opened, or matured. Pima was the most promising variety. 
In 1919 the cotton varieties were planted on land that was fal- 
lowed in 1918, replowed shallow in the spring of 1919, and worked 
down into a good seed bed. Before planting, an attempt was made 
to list the ground, the land being ridged with an ordinary walking 
plow by backfurrowing. The cotton varieties were planted by hand 
on the ridges and were furrow-irrigated to germinate the seed. Good 
stands were obtained, though it was necessary to lift the soil crust 
from many of the young seedlings before they were able to emerge. 
The cotton made a fair growth during the early part of the season, 
but soon after the rice on adjoining fields was submerged and pre- 
sumably the water table came nearer the surface, growth ceased, and 
the cotton turned yellow. 
The Pima variety was grown near a levee where drainage was 
better. It attained a height of about 36 inches, few bolls formed, 
and very few matured. The Meade variety grew to a height of 
about 30 inches and formed many bolls, but very few opened. Du- 
rango did not form many bolls, and of these very few opened. Acala 
formed many bolls and nearly all of them opened ; the average height 
of the plants was about 22 inches. Lone Star was about 20 inches 
in height, developed many bolls, and most of the bolls opened well. 
Lone Star and Acala were the most promising varieties. Three 
rows, 264 feet long, planted to Lone Star, the most promising variety, 
yielded 6£, 5}, and 5 pounds per row, respectively. Figured on an 
acre basis, this would be about 350 pounds of seed cotton per acre. 
