14 
ELEMENTARY AGRICULTURE 
that begin to fruit early, fruiting rapidly and continu¬ 
ously. Usually plants possessing these characteristics 
have a strong central stem, with their first fruiting 
branches formed early and close to the ground. Such 
plants may vary in height from three to five feet, de¬ 
pending on the variety, soil, and climatic conditions. 
Plants of this type produce larger yields than those fruit¬ 
ing later and with the fruits higher on the stem. Another 
Fig. 9.—A good method of stringing seed corn. It may be handled conven¬ 
iently, disinfected in barrels and suspended upon nails. 
important feature in selecting seed cotton is the size and 
number of divisions in the boll. Cotton yielding large 
bolls, averaging 60 to 70 to the pound, are more resistant 
to weather, easier to pick, and mature much more rapidly 
than cotton requiring 120 to 150 bolls per pound. Each 
boll may have from four to five cells in which locks are 
formed. The length of the fiber may vary from % to 
1*% 6 inches in the upland varieties. Short staple cotton, 
like other farm crops, may be improved by selecting the 
high yielding strains with long, strong, fine fiber. 
