MEADE COTTON REPLACING SEA ISLAND. 23 
without disturbing the conditions under which that cotton was pro- 
duced and marketed. 
The harvesting and ginning of Meade cotton should be done with 
the same care and in the same manner as for Sea Island cotton if com- 
parable returns are to be expected. When so harvested and ginned 
the Meade cotton causes no change in the customs of the Sea Island 
markets and is readily accepted on a par with Sea Island cotton. 
So closely does the Meade fiber resemble the Sea Island that it can 
not be distinguished except by experts, and it has been sold on the 
regular Sea Island markets at a premium over the Sea Island fiber. 
Profitable crops of Meade cotton have been produced in the presence 
of the boll weevil, and comparative experiments indicate that this 
new long-staple variety is as early and as prolific as the short-staple 
cottons that are now being grown in the South Atlantic coast districts. 
Some difficulty has been experienced with the ginning of Meade 
cotton because of the failure of the large seeds of this variety to pass 
through the seed grids of the Sea Island gins as rapidly as the Sea 
Island seeds, consequently slowing down the ginning process. To 
meet this difficulty a new seed grid has been manufactured and placed 
on the market, designed especially to handle the large Meade seeds. 
This grid can be adjusted to the regular Sea Island gins. It is also 
possible to use the old grids successfully by moving them back from 
the hacker bar one-half to three-fourths of an inch. 
The production and maintenance of an adequate supply of pure 
seed is the most acute problem confronting the growers of Meade 
cotton at this time. Communities of farmers are being encouraged 
to organize for the purpose of growing only Meade cotton and to 
keep up the standard of the variety by continued selection and care- 
ful ginning on a locally controlled gin. Such organizations can mar- 
ket their crops more directly in large lots of uniform fiber, and better 
prices can be obtained. Communities organized to grow Meade cot- 
ton are more necessary than with Sea Island because Upland hy- 
brids can be easily recognized in Sea Island cotton while Upland 
hybrids in Meade cotton are difficult to distinguish, so that the pre- 
caution of isolating the fields from any possible contamination with 
short cotton is even more important than when the Sea Island cot- 
ton was grown. 
The only other solution of the problem seems to lie along the lines 
that have been followed for years in connection with the Sea Island 
industry ; that is, a few of the more intelligent farmers with private 
ginning equipment must produce sufficient seed to supply the whole 
section. Until the organization of communities is effected the latter 
method seems to offer the better prospects of success, for several of 
the larger growers of Meade cotton have already installed or intend 
to install complete ginning equipment for the exclusive handling of 
this variety. 
