58 REPORT OF THE AGRICTLTtRAL RESEARCH 



into all the tracts so that it can pass under the judgment 

 of local cultivators and the Chittagong cottons should also 

 be tried on a small scale on the Garo Hills to find out 

 whether t]ie change of locality will affect it as regards size 

 of bolls and quantity and quality of produce. All experi- 

 ments should be placed under the supervision or control 

 of some officer in the Agricultural Department, as work 

 of this nature, when conducted by men with no training 

 in agriculture, is either neglected or fails through lack 

 of the necessary knowledge. 



I have discussed cotton matters freely with Mr. Hector, 

 the Economic Botanist, and he is in possession of my views. 



Bengal. — There are three species of Gossypiuni culti- 

 vated in Bengal, viz., (1) the late variety, G. intermedium, 

 Todaro (probably), said to be grown most largely as a 

 mixture with rahar and other crops in North Behar; (2) 

 G. neglectum Todaro, vars. Bengalensis and Kokatia, com- 

 prised in the " early variety " of the agricultural returns 

 and (3) an early maturing form of G. hirsutum, called 

 Buri. In addition to these, two American tree cottons — 

 Bourbon and Brazilian or chain-seeded are grown spora- 

 dically for their cotton which is used for spinning the 

 sacred thread. Throughout Behar, cotton seems never to 

 be grown as a pure field crop, but only as a mixture with 

 rahar {Cajanus indicus). Probably little of the produce 

 finds its way to the mills as the bulk is used for stuffing 

 quilts and cushions and for other domestic purposes. 



As regards projected experiments with a view of popu- 

 larising cotton cultivation in Bengal only two species 

 appear to hold out any promise of ultimate success. These 

 are the intermedium and hirsutum. 



According to Mr. N. 0. Chaudhary who has devoted 

 considerable attention to the subject of cotton cultivation 

 in Bengal, the advantages of G. intermedium accrue from 

 its heavy production and fineness of staple and its draw- 

 backs are comprised in its long period of growth and low 

 percentage of cotton to seed. The crop often occupies the 

 ground until June or July, thereby delaying the cultivators 



