BULLETIN No. 71. BULLEIN No 1.APRIL, 1896. ALABAMA AgriculturaI Experiment sfation OF THE AGRICULTURAL AND .MECHANICAL COLLEGE, AUBURN. EkPEIVIHNTS WITJ4 FOREIGN4 COTTON'. MIL.L. MONTGOMERY, ALA.: THE BROWN PRINTING COMPANY, PRINTERS. 1896. COMMITTEE I. F. CULVER. OF TRUSTEES ON EXPERIMENT STATION. ........................................ Union Springs. Hope Hull. J. G. H. GILOHRIST ................................ ....................... CLAY ARMSTRONG...... Auburn. STATION COUNCIL. WM. LEROY BRoUN .................................. P. H. MELL.... .................................. B. B. Ross......................... L. President. Botanist. M. ................. Chemist. UNDERWOOD..................................Biologist. C. A. CARY, D. V. M .......................... Veterinarian. J. F. DUGGAR .................................... Agriculturist. F. S. EARLE ..................................... Horticulturist. ASSISTANTS. J. T. ANDERSON.............................. ..... ................ C. L. HARE .. R. WILLIAMS........ ....... ......... First Assistant Chemist. Second Assistant Chemist. G. U. Third Assistant Chemist. Superintendent of T. CULVER.................... .......... Farm. f~The Bulletins of t Station will be sent free to any citizen of the State on application to tihe Agricultural Experiment Station. Auburn, Alabama. his EXPERIMENTS WITH FOREIGN COTTON. BY recent years much attention has been attracted to foreign cottons, especially those of India and Egypt, because of the yearly increased importation of the staple into this country. It is claimed by a few experts that the fibre, in some respects, is superior to the ordinary "upland" varieties grown in the South, and that there is danger of the importation increasing to such an extent asto seriously injure the trade in American cottons. The Indian cotton is generally noted for its rich creamy color, its ready adaptability for certain dyes and the property the thread has of swelling in the process of bleaching, so that the cloth made of it becomes more substantial than that manufactured from the coarser grades of American cottons. These foreign staples are also used in the United States for mixing with the low grade American fibres to improve their color and the quality of the cloth. Several of the Experiment Stations in the South have cultivated some of the varieties of the cotton from India and Egypt in order to compare their properties with our native forms, but, so far as the knowledge of the writer goes, there have been no regular systematic experiments conducted in any state extending over a period of several years, except at the Alabama Station. Of course nothing definite can be determined about any foreign plant until it has become acclimated by several years careful cultivation. The experiments at Auburn have been planned to accomplish first this result. The first step taken in these investigations was, therefore, to acclimate the plants; secondly, to secure the best results possible in health of plant, maturity of fibre and the yield of lint that the conditions of the soil and climate would .Within P. H. MELL. 300 permit; and thirdly, to so blend the best properties of the foreign cotton with those of the superior grades of American varieties as to produce an exceptionably fine cotton plant. This bulletin contains the results secured through the first and second steps, and the data are much more gratifying than the author anticipated. During the season ot 1895 several hundred crosses were made between the best American cottons and these foreign species and the seeds were carefully gathered and assorted for cultivation during the coming season. From the present outlook some very interesting facts will be secured from these experiments. It is the intention of the writer to issue a bulletin after this crop is gathered to discuss the results secured by the third step in the plan outlined above. In conducting these experiments the following so-called varieties were secured from India, Egypt and Mexico, and most of them were first planted in 1894. (Three of the varieties, however, viz: Mit Afifi, Bamieh and Mannoah were first planted in 1893): Bajwara, Bamieh, *Bani, *Bombay, Broach, *Bourbon, $Creula, Deshi, Ghoghari, *Guchard, Herbucco, Indrepur, *Jari, Jakko, Mannoah, *These failed to germinate. Mirzapore, Mit Afifi, "Mexican resists drought," "Mexican," "Mexican," *"Nagpur jari, Narma, Nadam, Nimari bani, *Painaa, Roji, Surat Kupas, *"Tree cotton" (Mexico,) "Upland Georgian" (Mexico,) *Wagaria Wadhwan. tRequires two years for maturing balls. 301 As an indication of the importance of continued and careful experiments with these cottons before final conclusions are drawn the following extracts are taken from bulletin No. 65 issued by this Station June, 1895. The Department sent out to the cooperative seed test experimenters some of these foreign cotton seeds before they were acclimated at this station and the reported results of one season's cultivation are thus given : Franlin County.-"Bamieh, Egypt. Yield 600 lbs per acre; quality good; growth vigorous and large, but bolls are too small for a desirable cotton." Perry County.--"India Cotton No. 1. Qaality poor; growth large stalks; yield very poor; staple short, and is inferior to any of our native varieties." Madison County.-"Afifi, Egyptian. Lint, cream colored, medium length and very fine and silky. Appears to be hardy as to cold; was not injured by spring frosts when other varieties were damaged. Grows from six to ten feet high. Yield about 300 lbs per acre. Bibb County.-"Egyptian cotton. Yield per acre very poor; quality inferior; lint short and yellow." Tallapoos County.-"Egyptian cotton. Yield about 600 lbs per acre. Lint very long and strong. Another variety is worthless on account of the smallness of bolls and being so few on the stalk." Pickens County. "Egyptian cotton. Yield per acre about 200 lbs. Quality of product, fine strong fibre, dingy color. Stalk large, bolls small, does not pay for cultivating." [The expression "fine strong fibre" seems to contradict this hasty conclusion.] Morgan County.-"Egyptian cotton. Yield about 200 lbs per acre. Lint very fine and weak. Stalks from 3 to 6 feet high, very few limbs and bolls." Chilton County.--"Egyptian cotton. Yield about one-third bale per acre. Lint short, bollg scattering, very large growth." Etowah County.-"Egyptian cotton. Complete failure." 302 Hale County.--"Egyptian cotton. Yield per acre 1,200 lbs. Quality good." Blount County.-"Egyptian cotton. Yield about 400 lbs seed cotton per acre. The quality of the lint was very fine and yellow. The growth tall, limbs long, bolls very small and scattering." Pike County.-"Egyptian cotton. Yield about 300 lbs per acre. Growth rapid, stalks from 6 to 10 feet high." Lauderdale County.-"Egyptian cotton. Yield about 250 lbs per acre. Quality of product good. Growth vigorous, 3 to 5 feet high. Yield poor on account of maturing so late. Afifi. Yield practically nothing. Growth extremely vigorous, from 6 to 10 feet high." The statements made by these experimenters appear quite contradictory for the reason that three important factors are overlooked. 1. The term "Egyptian Cotton" is too indefinite. The list given on page 300 will show that there are several species growing in Egypt as prominently distinct from each other as exists between the so-called "Peerless" and the sea Island species. 2. The soil in one county differs materially from that in another--particularly is this true when the counties are separated by the length of the state. 3. The seeds sent out from Auburn were those direct from Egypt and India, and therefore not acclimated. The following items in reference to the derivation of the local names of these cottons may be of interest: is a comprehensive term Broach, Baroach or Bharucha, and is used to indicate the finer grades of cotton. It is the name of a district in India. Manuah, Mannoah or Jettooee, in its native clime yields one-eighth of clean cotton, but it is cultivated with other crops. It requires nearly a year to mature. Miduopore or Mirzapore is the largest cotton mart in India. Nadam is an inferior grade of cotton and is grown in the district of the same name in India not for exportation, al- 303 though it is used for adulterating the best grades which are sent to other countries. It is a triennial and poor bearer, and the fibre is cleaned with difficulty. Narma or Nurma, sometimes also called Deo-Kupas, is a fine silky cotton. It is the name of a section in India. The plant bears ten to twelve years in its native country. The fibre is more than one inch long and is used for the manufacture of the finest linens. It is cultivated near the temples for making the robes of priests. Surat Kupas is named after an important seaport town through which most of the cotton from one district is shipped. This term is often used in a general sense for cotton coming from Surat, Broach, and Berar districts. Kupas signifies clean cotton, or ginned. Wagaria, Wagriah or Wadhwan is also the name of a district in India and represents an annual cotton growing to the height of 2 cr 3 feet with a single tapering stem. The bolls do not open wide, but remain closed except a crack at the apex. There is considerable trouble necessary to force them open and extract the fibre. The bolls are gathered from the plants and afterwards opened by children. This cotton is suitable for the manufacture of only the coarser grades of cloth. The other names mentioned in the list are local rather than descriptive. Prior to 1810 the Indian and Egyptian cottons were coarse and of an inferior quality. But since that year a systematic effort was made by the English Government to improve the character of the plant by blending it with the American upland and sea Island varieties with remarkable success. The war between the states from 1861 to 1865 greatly encouraged the cultivation of cotton in these foreign countries. Commissioner Young in his report of the cotton exhibit at the Paris Exposition in 1878, says: "From this exhibition I learned that the cotton of all or nearly all of the Indian provinces has been greatly improved by the introduction of American seed. [It was inDharwar'that our 304 American planters obtained the greatest success, and I am told that the entire crop in this province is now from seed originally American." BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION. A careful examination of the foreign cottons under consideration would classify them as follows: Broach, 1. &os.sypium herbaceum var ricrocarpum Ghoghari. 2. G. Wightianun Tod: Nadam, Deshi, Jakko, Roji, Nimari bani. 3. C. roseumn var albifloram. Tod: Indrepur, Ghoghari, Surat Kupas, Mirzapore, Roji. 4. G. hirsutum var album Tod: Indrepur, Herbucco, Surat Kupas, Mirzapore. 5. G. rnaritimnunTod: Jakko, Manuah, Mit Afifi. 6. C. maritirnum var poycearpaum Tod: Bamieh. 7. G. Braziileisn Macf: Guchard, Creulo. The seed, when delivered at Auburn in 1893 and 1894, were badly mixed, rendering it difficult in most instances, to determine which plant represented the local name given on the package. It will thus be noted that in the above seven Tod: species and varieties the same local name has been repeated. crop the seeds were carefulAfter gathering the first-year's ly assorted, however, and the classification made as above stated. A detailed description of these species is given in accordance with "Relazione sulla .Cultura dei Cotoni-Monografia del Genere Gossypium" by Agostino Todaro. 1. Gosypium herbaceu~n, var microcarpum Tod. Stem. erect, branches spreading, slightly pyramidal ; covered with long soft leaves 3-5 lobed, rarely 7 lobed, lobes rotundate obtuse,. apex hair; utely mucronate; bases min- stipules linear lanceolate, acuminate very short ; peduncle erect and nearly equal to half of peteole ; bracts ovat, cordate, with sharp cut teeth, general outline of bract leaf rotundate, wedge shaped, yellow, marked at base" with purple spots, after ering the outside surface turns reddish ; boils small ovate, hardly united; coralla longer than the bracts., obovate, unequally flow- 305 subrotundate, apex deeply hollowed out, 4-5 celled, cells 6-7 seeded; seeds ovate, short mucronate at hilum, covered with thick closely adhering fibre, in some c ases white ash-gray, short, in other cases rather long and white. Broach-Ghoghari. 2. Gossypium Wightianum Tod. Stem erect and covered with soft hairs; branches spreading, slightly ascending, leaves rather rotundate, obscurely obcordate, 3-5 lobed, lobes ovate, obtuse with bases drawn together or wrinkle d, the depressions between two lobes obtuse with small dentiformed lobes now and then interjected, stipules semiovate, somewhat sickle shaped, otherwise linear lanceolate, all acuminate; peduncles erect during the blooming period but recurved during fruiting; bracts ovate, very small, base united, cordate, acute, small serrated; corolla longer than bracts, obovate, inequally shaped, yellow, base spotted dark purple but after flower opens, petals turn red; bolls very small, ovate, 8-seeded; seeds small ovatesubrotundate, densely covered with fibre; fibre short and closely adhering and white. Nadam, Deshi-.Jakko-Roji--Nimari barie. 3. Gossypium martimum, Tod. Glabrous, stem erect, branched, tall; branches graceful, spreading, subpyramidal ascending, and later recurving; leaves rotundate-ovate, sub-cordate, 3-5 lobed, sometimes intermingled with other entire leaves, lobes ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or lanceolate-oblong, depressions between lobes subrotundate; single peduncle above the axis of leaf and stem, an inch long during flowering period, but afterwards elongating; bracts broadly ovate, cordate, adhering at middle of base with calyx, but not coalescing among themselvs, deeply cut into lobes, lobes near base an elongated slightly broader, lanceolote, terminating with point; corolla longer than bracts, petals yellow, or pale sulphur color, not entirely expanded during flowering period; lower part of style free from stamens and equal in length to anther-bearing column. Style somewhat three parted; boll ovate-conical, acute, three to four celled, 6-9 seeded; seeds beaked at hilum, black, smooth and covered with long silky fibre. Jakko,Manuah, Mit Afifi. 4. Gossypium maritimam var poly carpurm 'od. Stem erect, simple; 1-3 peduncles in the axis of each leaf; few if any branches. Bamieh. 5. Gossypium roseum var albiflorum Tod. Stem erect, branches slender, spreading profusely, pyramidal, slightly ascending; leaves palmate parted, cordate, marginally fringed with hairs, segments 5-7, lanceolate acute, base somewhat narrowed, depression rotundate, 306 * two lower segments conti;aiing :little' intejected lobes;'stipule near peduncle semiovate, dentate, the other linear-lanceolate, somewhat curved like a scythe, both acute and covered with downy hairs hairs throughbracts rotundate covered with long weak out its entire length, ovate, cordate, deeply dentate from apex to middle, in .the lower portions much oles, dentate, half united; flowers bell shaped and corolla is about equal in length to the bracts. Short bract-like petals of corolla in the act of flowing approximately convolute in the tube, obovate, base coalescing to each other almost contracted into a claw, apex rotundate, dirty white, and purple spotted, from the base nearly to the middle; calyx base contracted unequally dentate; naked anther column pubescent beneath, the remaining portion of style tube anther-bearing; boll very small ovate-acuminate, reddish, three celled, cells 5-6 seeded; seeds clothed with thick fibre, in some instances ash gray, very short and strongly adherent, while in other cases the fibre is short and rather reddish. Ghoghari--Indrepur-Mirzapore--Surat IKupas--Rogi. 6. Gossypium hirsutum var album, Tod. Stem erect, branches spreading, slightly ascending, pyramidal, hairy ; leaves ovate rotoindate cordate, 3-5 lobed, those found at end of branches are at times acute and entire,: lobes truncate-semiovate, subtriangular, acute or acuminate, the middle lobes larger and longer, at fold acute plicate; stipules ovate lanceolate, unequalateral, sharp rigid pointed, the other portion lanceolate acuminate; bracts large ovate, acuminate, in the upper portion 'deeply cut into many narrow lobes, in the lower part simply dentate, the clefts are elongate linear produced at the apex into an attenuated point; corolla large, longer than bracts, during flowering period considerably. expanded, petals pale =sulphur colbr, afterwards rolling up and turning' red; style long, exserted; boll large, walnut shaped, generally four celled, apex rotundate terminating abruptly into a short point; seeds ovate covered with short white fibre firmly adherent. Indrepur--Herbucco-S urat Kupas--Mirzaplore. 7. Gossypium Brazililiesce Macf. Stem strongly, shrubby, erect, branched; leaves very deeply cordate, 5-7 lobes, widely radiate, spread out below the base nearly the length of the petiole; bracts ovate-rotundate, longer than the convoluted corolla, deeply cut into narrow lobes; boll ovate, acuminate, shorter than bracts, cells 7-9 seeded, seeds closely adherent, wrapped up in long fibre., . Guchard--Creulo. The following table shows the, results of microscopic examination of the foreign- cottons. of the best varieties of the American cottons are also given for- the purposes of comparison. :i* WtD Three .4- O Ad : O s. v~ Oc12 Rupture Strain of Fibre Expressed in Grammes*. Several trials to rpture aAe single strand. 7.158 18.717 LOCAL NAMES OF COTTON. . Baj wara.................... Bairieh .................... Broach..................... Deshi ........... . . . . . . . s 0.024, "Georgia Upland," Ghoghari.. ............... Herbucco ................. Indrepur.................. Mannoah ........ :........... Mirzapur............... Mit afifi....................... Jakko.................... 32,0 42.0 30.0 29.0 36.0 30.0 30.0 38.5 40.0 38.0 27.0 28.0 23.0 31.5 .. . 38.4 . Mexican............ ........ Mexican ......... .. ......... Narma..................... Nadam........ ... . Nirnari bani ...... ...... .... . Surat Kupas ... ....... Cherry Oluster........... ... Cook, XW. A-.................. 33.0 27.0 28.0 22.4 38.7 18.5 Peerless ................. . 0. 032.. Medium.. Fair ... 5.140, 5.875, 10.460.......... .. . . . .. 0.024, 0.040. . Excellent.. Excellent. . 16.700, 22 733. . .. Fair... . 00 028, 0.032 . Fair 5.810, 6.840, 15.600 ........... 0.024........ Irregular. . Good. 7.475, 8.7759,15.350.......... Excellent. Excellent 0.032... 13.600, 14.535........... ... .. 0.032... .. Fair . 12.200, 14.460. 0.032....... Irregular .:.Fair . 5.320, 6.315, 12.575:. 0.032:. . Good .Good. 4.110, 8.885, 9.335............. 0.028, 0.032. . Good...Good . 14.260, 16.380.................. 0.032 ........Good . Good .. 10.200, 12.750, 18.750......1.... 0.032....... Medium. Poor ... 6.250, 7.920.................. 0.032, 0.048.. Excellent.. Excellent.. 12.610, 10.335............... 0.024, 0.048.. Medi um .. Fair .. 4.100, 6.705 ............ 0.016, 0.048.. Good..Good . 9.250, 11.075.. ................ 0.016, 0.032 ... Good...Good:. 9.585, 15.585......... .... . 0.032, 0.048. . .. Good. 9.780................. Fair.. 0.016,0.032.. Fair. 10.055, 11.668........... ..... 0.032.... .. Fair Good.. 6.750, 12.375............. Excellent.. Excellent 9.348, 17.608, . 0.10070.020........ Good.Good. 0._016 0.024.. Fair. M. ledium .. 5.811, 10.276, 14.022.._. 9.413 10. 533 14.068 13.330 Fair. 9.830, 8.610 7 443 15.320 13.933 7.0'85 .. 2.925, 11. 472 6.865 10. 163 12.585 8.450 10.862 9.562 15.4347.590 10.055 Fair. 7.120, 19.345...... S1 Gramme is equivalent to 15.43 grains; 1 Millimeter is 0.039 of an inch.