38 BULLETIN 1467, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
was much more uniform in plant characters than the original stock. 
The bolls were larger and the fiber longer and more uniform. Plant- 
ings made in Arizona from this stock of seed had given very satis- 
factory results, and the fact that a large quantity of improved Acala 
seed, produced under one-variety conditions, was saved and made 
available for planting in other districts at a reasonable price consti- 
tuted an improvement in cottonseed production which was of great 
value to the growers. 
In 1924 the association had experienced financial difficulties in 
saving the seed on account of the low oil-mill market, and in 1925 
the value of a community association in saving good stocks of seed 
was demonstrated in another way. During the ginning season con- 
siderable competition developed between the oil-mill interests and 
cottonseed was bid up to over $40 a ton. During such periods of 
abnormally high oil-mill prices, much seed that it would be highly 
desirable to save for planting purposes is likely to be sold to the 
oil mills. If the association had not been in existence, much more 
of the Coachella Valley Acala planting seed would have been lost 
in this way. Any members who failed to comply with their five- 
year contract to handle their seed through the association would 
have been sued, but difficulty was experienced in holding only one 
or two of them. 
The association saved about 550 tons of seed from the crop of 
1925. The seed was recleaned and put in 100-pound sacks stenciled 
with the association's brand, as in previous years. The wholesale 
price was continued at $90 a ton and the entire quantity of seed was 
sold for planting in other districts in 1926. As in previous years 
most of the seed went to Arizona. At 20 pounds to the acre this 
quantity of seed would plant 55,000 acres. The data regarding the 
sale of association seed in 1925 are also given in Table 4 (p. 41) in 
comparison with similar data for previous years. The final return 
to the grower from the crop of 1925 seed is not available at the time 
of this writing. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE BREEDING PROCESS AND BREEDING WORK IN 1925 
The system for the improvement and increase of the Acala seed 
stocks begun in 1922 was continued in 1925. Another breeding block 
was grown at the United States Experiment Date Garden, and fields 
for roguing were planted with special seed, A more detailed descrip- 
tion of this system and of its relation to the community follows. 
The breeding block consists of progeny rows and one increase 
progeny selected from a like breeding block grown the year before. 
Each progeny row is planted with seed from one plant which had 
been selected because it was typical and not because it was different 
or possessed some new feature. The rest of the block is planted with 
seed produced by the most uniform progeny row of the preceding 
year's breeding block. Every possible care should be taken to select 
only typical plants and rows for propagation, since a different even 
though desirable plant may contaminate the stock. Such variants 
should be isolated. The breeding block should be as uniform as 
possible, and in a well-bred variety the plants must be studied 
carefully, since selection will depend upon slight differences or im- 
