18 BULLETIN 1219, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Delinting assists materially in the emergence of cotton seedlings. Cottonseeds, 
in germinating, are forced up through the soil on the cotyledons of the young seedlings 
and a closely delinted seed offers less resistance than ginned seed. Also the united 
action of the young seedlings, resulting from the simultaneous germination of the 
delinted seeds, enables them to break through soil that has been compacted by rains 
with comparatively little difficulty and helps to insure a stand of plants under adverse 
conditions. 
Delinting effects an economy in the use of cottonseed, as planting machines will 
distribute a smaller quantity per acre more evenly. It will eliminate the necessity 
of a force feed in planting machines and facilitate the single-seed distribution and 
the planting of cottonseed in hills. The thin uniform stand of plants made possible 
by the use of delinted and recleaned seed also may help to simplify the culture of 
cotton by what is known as the single-stalk method which, repeated experiments 
show, produces the highest yields and earliest maturity. 
In a few instances which have recently come to the writer's atten- 
tion, delinted and recleaned seed are being planted with corn, bean, 
or peanut planters now on the market in the South, spacing the 
seeds the desired distance and effecting a saving of 25 to 50 per cent 
of the seeds required per acre. Furthermore, the proper spacing of 
the seeds in the drill makes it easily possible to eliminate the expen- 
sive thinning or " chopping" operation in the cultivation of the 
crop. Thus the use of delinted and recleaned cottonseed tends to 
lower the cost of production. 
Any practice resulting in an increased yield with no additional 
cost also lowers the net cost of production per pound. In experi- 
ments conducted by the Bureau of Plant Industry in 1907, 4 recleaned 
or graded seed produced from 8.25 to 10.9 per cent more seed cotton 
per acre than seed not recleaned or graded. These seeds were rolled 
in some finely pulverized material sprinkled with water to paste 
down the lint or fuzz so that they would separate readily. The 
addition of water and foreign material introduces a possibility of 
error in separating the lightweight and heavyweight seeds which is 
not encountered when recleaning seeds that have been delinted 
closely. With the added advantages accruing from planting delinted 
seed there is no apparent reason why such seed when efficiently 
recleaned should not give even greater results than those in the 
experiment referred to. 
Thus it appears that delinted and recleaned cottonseed may be 
made available to the farmer at no additional cost for the quantity 
required per acre and that the use of this seed adds to the net returns 
from the crop both .by reducing the cost of production and by in- 
creasing the yield per acre. However, satisfactory results may be 
expected only when the seeds are delinted closely and then recleaned 
efficiently. Delinting, although a valuable factor in improving cot- 
tonseed for planting purposes, is not sufficient in itself, and recleaning 
can not be done economically nor efficiently unless the seeds are first 
delinted. The two processes are interdependent and when properly 
employed in conjunction with each other they offer marked possi- 
bilities for the advancement of the cotton-growing industry. 
SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS. 
Cottonseed may be delinted very closely with not over 1 per cent 
saw-cut injury. From 100 to 150 pounds of linters per ton of seed 
may be removed with safety. When delinted at the high rate very 
4 Webber, Herbert J., and Boykin, E. B.: The Advantage of Planting Heavy Cotton Seed, U. S. Dept. 
of Agr., Farmers' Bulletin 285. 1907. 
