BULLETIN No. 89. JANUARY. JNAY 1898. 88 ALABAMA Agricultural Experiment Station OP THE AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE, AUBURN. EXPERIMENTS WITH COTTON J. F. DUGGAR, AGRICULTURIST. BIRMINGHAM ROBERTS 1898. & SON. COMMITTEE OF TRUSTEES ON EXPERIMENT STATION. I. F. CULVER...... .................................... J. G. GILCHIRIsT ..... H. CLAY ARMSTRONG .................................... ............................ Union Springs. Hope. Hull. Auburn, STATION COUNCIL. Wm. LERoY BROUN................. ....... :............ ... President. P. H. MELT.................................................. B. B. Ross.... .... .................................. .................. Botanist. :.Chemist. Veterinarian. Agriculturist C. A. CARY, D. V. M.............. J. F. DUGGAR ............ ...... .......... F. S. EARLE.............................Biologist C. F. BAKER...........................................Entomologist. J. T. ANDERSON ............. ,..................... and Horticulturist.. Associate Chemist. ASSISTANTS. C. L. HARE ................................. R. G. WILLIAMS ........................... T. U. CULVER First Assistant Chemist. Second Assistant Chemist. :.............. ......... ..... .. Superintendent of Farm. of the 12= The Bulletins of State on application this" Station will be sent free to any citizen to the Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Alabama. Experiments With Cotton, BY J. F. DUGGAR. SUMMARY. The group of varieties yielding most lint were Texas Oak, Griffin, Hawkins, Deering, Mell Cross No. 15, Jones Re-improved, Duncan, Hutchinson, Peterkin, Truitt and Whatley. Seed of the same original stock, but grown for one year in different parts of the Cotton Belt, when planted at Auburn, showed no marked difference in productiveness. The yields obtained by planting fresh, one-year-old and two-year old seed were nearly identical. With late cultivation the yield of cotton was slightly larger than with ordinary cultivation. Truitt cotton in narrow rows on upland of medium quality gave practically the same yields whether the single plants stood 12, 18 or 24 inches apart in the drill. The yield decreased when the distance between plants was increased to 30 or 36 inches. The crop matured eairlier wvith thick planting. Topped cotton plants yielded less thahn those not topped. The use of 640 pounds of slaked lime, applied broadcast in 1896, failed to increase the crop that year. But cottoni followlowing broadcast cow peas, turned under in the spring of 1'97, afforded a larger yield on the plot limed the previous year than on the plot riot limed. Subsoiling in January, 1896, was decidedly beneficial to the first crop of cotton, but afforded n'oi irease in the second crop, growni in 1897. A mixture of stable manure, cottonseed meal arnd acid phosphate, applied without composting, afforded a slightly larger yield than did exactly the same materials made into compost about one month before using. Composting increased the efficiency of Florida soft phosphate, but not of acid phosphate. Slightly larger yields were obtained by bedding on all the fertilizer than by reserving one-fourth and applying this portion in the seed drill at planting time. One hundred and fifty pounds per acre of cottonseed meal afforded a larger yield of seed cotton than 316 pounds of cottonseed or 702 pounds of nitrate of soda. These amounts of the above-named fertilizers contained equal quantities of nitrogen; hence cottonseed meal was the source whence the most effective form of nitrogen was obtained. Acid phosphate was more effective pound for pound than Florida soft phosphate, except when the crude phosphate was employed in compost. A mixture of acid phosphate and Florida soft phosphate was less effective than an equal weight of acid phosphate, and more valuable than an equal weight of Florida soft phosphate. Acid phosphate alone failed to increase the yield. Cottonseed meal was highly beneficial. Kainit, alone and in combination, greatly increased the yield. Kainit decreased the injury from "black rust," and this is apparently the explanation of the large increase in yield on the plots receiving kamit. THE WEATHER IN THE GROWING SEASON OF 1897. The rainfall for each month is recorded in Bulletin No. 88. 'There were several periods in May and in the first half of the summer when cotton suffered greatly from dry weather. However, up to the latter part of July there was every prospect for large yields. A severe drought, ending about the middle of August, followed by a week of rainy weather, resulted in great damage in shedding of forms and in the rapid spread of " black rust" on the leaves. A second growth was made later in the season, but on the Station Farm a large proportion of the bolls then formed failed to open. VARIETIES. In 1897 the number of varieties tested was 32, of which 17 were well-known varieties and 15 crosses originated several years ago by the station botanist, Prof. P. H. Mell. The parentage of these varieties was noted in Bulletin No. 56 of this Station. The rows were 31 feet apart. Thinning was done after counting the plants, so as to leave an equal number on each plot. The average distance between plants was 18 inches on all plots, except on those planted in Bates and Griffin, where a poor stand was obtained, the average distance between plants being nearly 24 inches with Griffin and nearly 40 inches with Bates. No corrections have been made for this very defective stand on these two plots, although it is evident that both varieties are at a disadvantage. Peerless ctton was planted on 7 plots as a means of ascertaining the amount of any variations in the natural fertility of the field. The field was found to vary so much that one variety could not fairly be directly compared with all others. However, the frequently repeated Peerless plots enable us to calculate approximately what would be the yield of each plot if planted with the Peerless variety. In so doing the actual yield of the Peerless plot on either side is given a weight inversely proportional to its distance from each plot for which the calculation is made. The amount by which any variety exceeds the calculated yield of Peerless on a given plot is believed to be the best measure of the natural productiveness of that variety under the weather conditions prevailing in 1897. Therefore in this bulletin the varieties are ranked in order of productiveness according to the amount of lint by which they exceed Peerless in that part of the field. The actual yields, both of seed cotton at the time of ginning, and of lint, are also given. The following table contains these data, and also figures indicating the percentage of lint in seed cotton and the relative earliness of each variety, as indicated by the percentage of the total crop obtained at the first picking, August 31: 6 Yield per acre, relative earliness, percentage of lint, and relative productiveness compared with Peerless, of 32 varieties. z rdcieescn VARIETY. 00 Q 0i+ Q G. Lbs. 16 Texas Oak....................... 5 Griffin Drought Proof Prolific. 7 Hawkins Imp'd ................... 15 Deering Small Seed............... 29 Mell Cross No. 15................ 1 Jones PR-improved............. 2 Duncan Mammoth................ 12 Hutchinson Storm Prolific.......... 10 Peterkin............. ....... 8 Pruitt Imp'd P. Prolific............ . Whatley Imp'd............ :20A 31B Mell Cross No. 3.................. .... 32B Mell Cross No. 50.... 22 Mell Cross No. 38.................. 32A Mell Cross No. 14................. 33 Mell Cross No. 7.................. Cross No. 58................. 24 30 Mell Cross No. 54................. 31A Mell Cross No. 49............... 707 970 824 47 36 4431.01 301+28 4533.9 . 2 Lbs. Lbs Lbs. 256+29 227 280+20 296 +11 296 +11 259 +9 273 260 672 627 917 898 -6335.7 240 +16 224 48132.4 206 +12 194 790 755 5832.3 5234.7 *.32.0 3134.4 60131 .8 5930.5 285 285 250 253-110 243 824 746 650 262+ 4031.0 49 28.9 682 712 640 5531.7 226+ 228+1-7 197+ 3 197+ 3 2 1 8 254 221 194 194 224 194 5229.1 195+ Mell 14 Dickson 6 llunnicutt Cluster.............,....... Choice................... 669 688 614 624 710 66 29.7 5131.9 55 31.5 62 30 8 46 31 .8 5631.0 8331.9 2277530..8 189- 195 + 219 194 192- 1 0 0 2 3 194 219 194 194 230 816 35 Mell Cross No. 55 .................. 27 Mell Cross No. 12.................. 4 Bates Big Boll..................... 26 Meli Cross No. 43 25 Meli Cross No. 61.................. 1AleImrvdLnStpe...2B 613 629 . 890 6051 259195 ................. ......... . 3429.6 55 31.5 -266-13 -46 4 263 5 194 5 200 279 204 634. 731 48,31.3 198 -15 6128.5 202 190-14 Tyler................... 5828.0 205-16 5131.2 197-25 213 221 222 219 285 21 Mell Cross No. 76.................. 707 661 19 221 . 1520 34 Mell Cross No. 11............... 635 19 Allen's Hybrid Long Staple ......... . 880 3 Peerless (check) ................... 9 Peerless (check).......... ..... . 776 -11 Peerless (check)................... . . 712 13 Peerless (check) ................... 18 Peerless (check).................... 676 23 Peerless (check).................... 714 . .......... 28 Peerless (check) ........ 614 .. ,.Peerless (average of 7 plots.........) 735 8031.9 157."...... 6027.2 5632.4 173 285 0 763 67 31.9 248 613 3.1 253 0 248 0 253 5932 8 54132.2 46,31.6 50;31 5. 56 32 .2 234 218 226 194 237 0 0 U 0, 234 218 226 194 0 237 tThis plot is not comparable with others on account of a difference in preparation. not ~The percentage of total crop gathered at first picking was Ranking the varieties according to their excess of lint cotton per acre over Peerless in each part of the field, the varieties heading the list are Texas Oak, Griffin, Hawkins, Deering, Mell ;Cross No. 15 (a cross between the W. A. Cook and Cherry Chester varieties), Jones Re-improved, Duncan, Hutchinson, Peterkin, Truitt, ahd Whatley. As is usual in variety tests at all experiment stations there is a great difference in the rank of varieties tested in two different seasons, 1896 and 1897. In 1897 all varieties were seriously injured by " black rust," except the very late varieties, Bates and Peterkin, of which only about 5 per cent. of the plants appeared to be seriously damaged. and Peerless. This disease was most prevalent on the early varieties, Dickson, Deering, CLASSIFICATION OF LINT. The numbered samples of lint were classified by Mr. H. L. Bandy, a cotton buyer of Opelika, Ala. was as follows : Good Middling, 5 c.--Duncan. His classification Strict Middling, 5 6 c.-Jones and Texas Oak (latter rated at 5 c.), Truitt, Peterkin, Mell Cross No. 3, and Mell Cross No. 55. Barely Strict Middling, 51c.-Whatley. determined for the Hutchinson variety because of an error, which was discovered by the failure of the weight of seed cotton just before ginning to approximately agree with the sum of the weights of the several pickings. With all other varieties there was a close agreement between these 2 sets of figures, but with the Hutchinson there was a discrepancy of 12 pounds of lint cotton. The complete records in which the error occurs are therefore published here for this variety": First picking of one-sixteenth acre plot, 36.8 pounds of seed cotton ; second picking, 20.7 pounds; third picking, 3.3 pounds; and fourth picking, 0.5 pound. The error is believed to be in the weight of seed cotton at first picking. The smaller weight (weight at ginning) is evidently correct for it is checked by the weight of lint, and is used in the above table for the Hutchinson, as well as for all other varieties. Middling, 5 %c.-Bates, Griffin, Hunnicutt, Hawkins, Peerless, Hutchinson, Mell Cross No. 76, Mell Cross No. 38, Mell Cross No. 58, Mell Cross No. 61, Mell Cross No. 43, Mell Cross No. 12, Mell Cross No. 54, Mell Cross No. 49, Mell Cross No. 14, Mell Cross No. 50, Mell Cross No. 7, and Mell Cross No. 4. Barely Middling, 5 c.-Deering. Strict Low Middling, 51c.--Dickson, Allen Imp. L. S., and Allen Hybrid L. S. WHERE TO GET SEED. This Station cannot offer seed either for sale or distribution, Our seeds for variety tests are purchased in small quantity from the grower, originator, or seed merchant, thus keeping the variety purer than if we saved our own mixed seed. Our stock was obtained originally from the following parties: Allen Improved L. S. and Allen Hybrid L. S., from J. B. Allen, Port Gibson, Miss. Hutchinson, from J. N. Hutchinson, Salem, Ala. Duncan, Bates, Griffin, Hunnicutt, Hawkins, and Dickson, from Mark W. Johnson Seed Co., Atlanta, Ga. Peerless and Peterkin, from H. P. Jones, Herndon, Ga. Texas Oak, from M. G. Smith, Lightfoot, Ga. Tyler, from K. J. Tyler, Aiken, S. C. Deering Small Seed was donated by Maj. I. F. Culver, Commissioner of Agriculture, Montgomery, Ala. SEED FROM DIFFERENT LATITUDES. In the early spring of 1896 seed of the variety King was bought from J. S. Blalock, Goldville, S. C., and planted the same year on the Station farm. Small quantities were also sent to the Experiment Station at Stillwater, Oklahoma, to Abbeville, in the southern part of Alabama, and to Dillburg, in the central or western part of this State. The seeds were planted in those localities in 1896, and after that crop was ginned some of the resulting seed were sent back to Auburn. Hence the comparison below is between seed of the same original stock grown for only one year in different localities. The yields per acre were as follows: Seed from different latitudes. Yield of Plot No. SEED FROM seed cotton per acre. 1 and 7 2 and 6 3 4 5 Goldville, S. C .................................. .. Abbeville, Ala............................. Auburn, Ala.................................... Dillburg, Ala ............................... ......... .... Stillwater, Okla.................. 950 922 928 948 928 The differences are too slight to show any effect due to latitude or climate. Indeed, one year is doubtless too short a time for a seed to be modified by change of climate. A repetition of this test with seed grown for a longer time in different latitudes is planned. OLD VERSUS NEW SEED. This is a repetition of an experiment conducted in 1896. In the test of the present year seed from the crop of 1896 is designated as fresh seed, that from the crop of 1895 as oneyear-old seed, and that from the crop of 1894 as two-year-old seed. It will be understood that seed spoken of as one yearold is really when planted about a year and a half old, and so on for seed of other ages. With favorable weather just after planting, a good and uniform stand was secured on all plots. No differences in germination were observed. The following table gives the average results of three experiments in two years: 10 Yield of lint per acre produced by seed of dij'erent ages. LINT PER ACRE AGE OF SEED Lbs. Fresh ................... ............ 272 Lbs. 242 Lbs. 259 Lbs. 258 One year old............................. Two year old...................... ..... Old and fresh cottonseed were of 237 246 248 277 269 240 254 254 about the same value for planting under conditions where a good stand was obtained. EFFECT OF LATE CULTIVATION. 22laid " July 12. by Peerless cotton planted April 19 was One plot, however, was cultivated July 26, running a 22.inch heel scrape twice between each row. The middle plot, not 'laid by" until July 26, yielded laid by " two weeks earlier, or at about the usual time, averaged 1,052 pounds. The difference of 25 pounds in favor of the plot cultivated late was more than sufficient to pay the cost of the extra cultivation. EDIST ANCE EXPERIMENTS. Truitt cotton was planted April 19 on rather medium quality reddish rocky upland. This field had been in corn in 1896, and had also borne a light crop of Whippoorwill cow peas between the corn rows. The growth of this bunch variety of cow peas, planted late and in rather thick corn, had been too insignificant to noticeably improve the cbaracter of this soil, which has always been inclined to bake. The fertil. ization and cultivation of all plots was identical, except that 11 June 1 hoeing was done in such a way as to leave two plants in a place either 12, 18, 24, 30 or 36 inches apart. the stand was reduced to a single plant in a hill. The distance between all rows was 3 feet 4 inches. The stand was practically perfect. Fertilizers were used as follows: 160 lbs. acid phosphate peracre. 160 lbs. cottonseed meal per acre. 20 lbs. muriate of potash per acre. June 25 Total, 340 lbs. of a complete fertilizer per acre. The yields were as follows: Yield per acre of seed cotton with single plants at diiferent distances. PlotYield Plot DISTANCE No. of seed cotton per acre. Lbs. 1 2 3 4 5 12 inches by 40 inches........................ 18 c< "c 40 " ........... 24 30 18 36 " " 838 .... 910 .856 "40 "40 40936 ......... "......... 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 " "c " " "cc40.848 " " 12 18 24 30 36 18 40 40 40 40 40 "... "..................... "..................... ".................... .... ..... cc " " "c40 ................... "................ " . . .. . . 917 910 926 900 858 917 .... 1318 Average for 12 inches (2 plots) .. & cc18 "4 c cc24 30 <_<_« 36 . 40 cc <" " (5 .. .. .. .. .. .. . ... plots)..................... 960 922 912 (2 plots)..................... (2 plots) ..................... (2 plots)..................... 918 .878 853 The above table shows that with Truitt cotton in narrow rows- there was practically no difference in yield between distances of 12, 18 and 24 inches in the drill. When the space was increased to 30 inches a decided reduction in yield followed. When the distance became 36 inches a further reduc- tion occurred, which, however, was only slight. The yield per 12 plant increased rapidly as the space allowed to each was enlarged. It should be remembered that the Truitt variety makes a large growth, and that its originator recommends thin planting for this variety. With Peerless, a smaller variety, planted in 1896 on a more sandy soil, best results were obtained by spacing either 12 or 18 inches in rows 42 inches apart. The average percentages of the whole crop that were obtained at the first picking, August 26, were as follows: 42 per cent. for plants 12 inches apart; 38 per cent. for plants spaced 18 inches; 30 per cent. for plants 24 inches apart; 26 per cent. for plants spaced 30 inches; and 28 per cent. for plants 36 inches apart. These averages suggest that thin planting retarded opening and that very thick planting decidedly hastened the maturity of the plants. However, different plots planted at identical distances varied considerably in the percentage of the total crop which was open at the time of the first picking. TOPPING. One plot of Truitt cotton planted April 19 in a part of field used for distance experiments was topped July 22, another plot was topped August 19. Two plots were topped. The distance between plants was 18 inches, and rows 3 feet 4 inches apart. The following table gives the results : Topping vs. not topping cotton. the and not the TREATMENT. 13 and 15 Not topped.................................. 14 Topped August 19............................. 16 Topped July 22................. .. 946 906 710 45 43 46 13 The results are decidedly in favor of the plants not topped. Tapping early was apparently more injurious than topping after the first bolls had begun to open. Topping did not hasten maturity. SUBSOILING AND LIMING. This is a continuation of an experiment begun in 1896 on red, rather stiff, shallow soil, inclined to bake and sensitive to drought. The surface is decidedly rocky. "