INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PT^SA, FOR 1910-11. 81 



Central Provinces Cottons. 



I visited the Experimental Station at Khandwa, where 

 I met Mr. Evans, the Deputy Director of the Northern 

 Division. This station is 13 acres in extent and is divided 

 into \ acre plots, seven of which are devoted to cotton and 

 five to Jo war and Bajri varieties. The experiments on 

 cotton will be continued this year, taking in, however, only 

 four varieties, rfudvensis, roseum, Saugor Jari, Bhuri and, 

 perhaps, Cambodia. The following are the notes I drew 

 out on the ground during my inspection : — 



Karkeli. — This being Hinganghat {Bani) is not suited 

 to this tract, and the fact is sufficiently proved by the ap- 

 pearance of the plot this season. 



Malvensis is strong and vigorous and the outturn pro- 

 mises to be satisfactory. The staple, almost as harsh as, is 

 longer than that of roseum. Which of the two will 

 ultimately prove to be the most profitable is a point only to 

 be determined by a test of outturn per acre. Local opin- 

 ion strongly inclines to the belief that roseum is the more 

 remunerative crop. This year roseum, being on a high- 

 lying plot with shallow soil, cannot safely be compared for 

 outturn with malvensis, which is on a lower level with deep- 

 er and richer soil. 



Saugor Jari had borne its ripe bolls intact for about a 

 month, and the White Flowered Varhadi or roseum. also 

 retained its ripe cotton uncommonly well. Practically 

 none had yet fallen to the ground. The retention of the 

 ripe cotton in the open bolls is a characteristic general to 

 our indigenous Indian cottons. 



Of Bhuri and Cambodia it can be safely said that the 

 former is almost certain to succeed in the better classes of 

 soil in this district. The group of cultivators, who accom- 

 panied us in the fields, concurred in my view after inspect- 

 ing the crop as it stood on the ground. 



Cambodia does not promise so well in the northern as in 

 the southern cotton districts. However, to make the mat- 



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