UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 1030 
Joint Contribution from the Bureau of Markets and 
Crop Estimates, H. C. TAYLOR, Chief, and the Bu- 
reau of Plant Industry, WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 
Washington, D. C. 
March 10, 1922 
MEADE COTTON, AN UPLAND LONG-STAPLE 
VARIETY REPLACING SEA ISLAND. 
By G. S. Meloy, Bureau of Markets, and C. B. Doyle, Bureau of Plant Industry. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Need of replacing Sea Island cotton_ 1 
Decline of the Sea Island industry-- 2 
Value of Meade cotton as a substi- 
tute for Sea Island demonstrated^ 2 
Origin of the Meade variety 3 
Description of the variety 4 
Meade cotton adapted to Sea Island 
conditions 4 
Increasing seed supplies in 1918 6 
Experiments with Meade cotton in 
1917 and 1918 9 
Work with Meade cotton in 1919 , 10 
Page. 
Extending the cultivation of Meade 
cotton in 1920 11 
Production of Meade cotton in 1920_ 14 
Cultivation of Meade cotton 15 
Closer spacing with Meade cotton 16 
Problem of seed supply of Meade 
cotton 18 
Selection necessary to maintain uni- 
formity 19 
Spinning tests of Meade cotton 20 
Conclusions 23 
Literature cited 24 
NEED OF REPLACING SEA ISLAND COTTON. 
Since the arrival of the boll weevil in the Sea Island cotton dis- 
tricts of the southeastern United States the production of this valu- 
able fiber has been rapidly declining. The large growth of the 
plants and the late maturity of the crop render Sea Island cotton 
particularly susceptible to injury by the weevil. From an average 
yearly production of 90,000 bales in the 10 years before 1917, less than 
2,000 bales have been reported from the 1920 crop. 
For several years before the boll weevil reached the Atlantic sea- 
board it was evident that this insect was likely to destroy the Sea 
Island cotton industry. Efforts were made to develop earlier strains 
of the Sea Island type in the hope that production might be continued, 
but in this direction no practical results have been obtained. During 
the same period experimental plantings of Meade cotton, a new va- 
riety of the Upland type developed in northeastern Texas, gave indi- 
cations of being adapted to the southeastern conditions and showed 
promise of success as a substitute for Sea Island cotton. Meade cot- 
ton is an early-maturing long-staple Upland variety producing a 
74463°— 22 -1 
