m REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



Hinganghat tract Bani is grown for distribution, but there 

 is no call for the seed as the people are introducing the 

 coarser, hardier and more productive Jari (vera) and Var- 

 hadi (rosea). An efficient hand gin of moderate cost and 

 simple construction which would clean an appreciable 

 amount of cotton per working day is an urgent necessity in 

 the cotton tracts. 



I wish here to emphasize my opinion that a real advance 

 in the improvement of some of the staple cottons of the 

 Central Provinces and Berar has already been effected. 

 The cultivators show a practical appreciation of the fact 

 by cheerfully paying enhanced rates for the selected seed 

 supplied by the experimental stations. The chief diffi- 

 culty in the future will be to maintain the varieties suffi- 

 ciently pure. For some years to come the difficulty must 

 either be met by large extensions of seed farms or by spe- 

 cial arrangements with reliable cultivators either of vil- 

 lages collectively or as individual persons. At the same 

 time steps should be taken to ensure that the cultivators 

 receive fair rates for their improved produce. 



It seems, however, too hopeful to look forward to the 

 time when the people will realize the advantages of clean 

 cultivation and cleanly methods of harvesting and mar- 

 keting. 



The British Cotton Growing Association sent the fol- 

 lowing gratifying account of the season's cottons grown at 

 Akola : — 



Value of Middling American 8- Old. 



No. 1. Bhuri. — " Fully good middling " in grade. 



Staple about 1 inch. Strong. Value 7-90c?. to 



8-006^. 

 No. 2. Bani. — " Fully good middling " in grade. Staple 



about IJ inch. Fine, but little soft. Value 



8-40fZ. 

 No. 3. Malvensis. — " Fully good middling " in grade, 



little stained. Staple 1 to 1^ inch, irregular 



and rather soft. Value 8-206?. 



