4 - BULLETIN 294, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
LESSON II. 
Subject. — Tile botany of cotton. 
Topics for study. — This lesson should deal with significant points, 
such as the morphology and physiology of the plant, including the 
effect of temperature and moisture on germination and rate of growth, 
branching habits, cross-fertilization and its effect, the range of type 
within the variety, and the significant features of well-recognized 
varieties. Such points as these have a direct bearing upon the lessons 
Fig. 3.— King. 
of judging cotton, seed selection, time and methods of planting, and 
time and manner of thinning. 
Cotton roots: Dig down around a cotton plant and see how near 
the surface the roots grow. Compare the root system of cotton with 
corn, and determine the effect of deep cultivation after the plant is 
several inches high. 
Stems and branches : Study carefully the different types of branches, 
their function, and arrangement on the plant, as these are important 
means of distinguishing varieties and determining productiveness 
and earliness. 
