1 Juxy, 1901.) QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 115 
the greatest number of points. As an example, I will give you some information 
gatliered from American sources of results of experiments carried on towards the 
improvement of sea island cotton. 
Glossypium Barbudense, getting its name from the island of Barbados, or, as it is 
popularly called, sea island cotton, is generally grown near the coast in the United 
States, not being suitable for growing in the interior, like Glossypium herbaceum, or 
uplands cott n; it was generally grown as a perennial, and for a long time was entirely 
unsatisfactory, giving but poor returns. However, by carefully selecting early- 
maturing seed and practically changing it from a perennial tv an annual, by selecting 
the best seed, and by better cultivation, a new race has been evolved, and it was at 
this point when American sea island cotton was the best in the world that a gentleman 
named W. A. Clark determined to try and make a still further improvement in the 
uality of the staple, and by applying the principle of selection he has so far succeeded 
that he is now obtaining as much as from 50 to 60 cents per lb., or 2s. 6d. to 3s., for 
his cotton, the usual price being from 25 to 30 cents per lb., or Is. to 1s. 3d. His 
plan of operation was as follows:—He carefully went over his fields in a rough 
manner, marking each plant appearing to be superior to the others; later each of 
these marked piants was subjected to a more careful examination in the field, and the 
number was reduced to five, and the bolls of fibre and see1 were picked and reserved 
for future and more minute examination. Points were then given to each for its 
good qualities, and ultimately the palm was given to one plant; but before decision a 
sample of the fibre was sent to the manufacturer for his approval, who examined it 
microscopically, and reported thereon. A final decision having been made, the seed 
was planted at the right time, the seeds from a single plant being about 500 in 
number. The result of these 500 plants gave enough seed for 5 acres the following 
year, and the 5 acres the next year gave enough seed for the general crop. 
The plants grown from the 500 original seeds were inspected cml subjected to 
the same tests for further crops, it being found that any neglect to select caused a 
rapid decline in quality; in fact, there was a reversion to the original quality before 
selection, so that to keep up the quality the process must be continuous. This 
quality of cotton secures orders from the manufacturers direct. without being sent to 
the open market, and quotations for such do not appear in the trade lists. To give 
an idea of the advancement made by these experiments, [ give a few illustrations :— 
