INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PFSA, FOR 1909-10. 63 



with seeds picked from the best commercial samples ob- 

 tained from his own division, and I expect he will shortly 

 be in a position to carry through his demonstrations rapidly 

 and socn reach the cultivators. From what I can gather, 

 some of the cottons of his division are already considered 

 good so that his task is simplified to a certain extent. 



In conclusion, I wish to record my appreciation of the 

 work being done in cotton by Mr. Clouston and by the pro- 

 jected experiments formulated by Mr. Evans. If they are 

 supported as they deserve, I venture to predict that the 

 Central Provinces will be the first in India to demonstrate 

 that it is possible to obtain a decided improvement in 

 Indian cotton, provided the requisite degree of intelli- 

 gence and energy are brought to bear on the question and 

 I again repeat that it is futile to work out our problems 

 on flower bed areas. 



Berar. — The Province of Berar known in days of yore 

 by the name Vaidarhha, has been famous for the cultiva- 

 tion of cotton. It grew some of the best varieties yielding 

 a fine strong fibre. It was the home of the once celebrated 

 Jari and Bani varieties that afforded a superior sort of 

 material not only to the mill industry in India but also to 

 that in England. At the time of the Civil War between 

 America and England in 1863, when no cotton was received 

 from America, this province supplied the deficiency to a 

 considerable extent. 



Area. — Cotton occupies the foremost rank among other 

 agricultural crops, and in comparison to the total cropped 

 area, it is grown much more extensively in this province 

 than in Bombay Presidency. It occupies the second place 

 in India so far as cotton cultivation is concerned, Bombay 

 Presidency being first. Nearly two-thirds of the cultur- 

 a-ble area is put under cotton, the average area ranging 

 between 28 to 31 lakhs of acres per annum. The average 

 outturn per acre is about 100 pounds clean cotton. 



