92 REPORT OF THE AGRlClTLTURAL RESEARCH 



maintenance of pure types in their hands, however, is the 

 most difficult problem confronting the Department and it 

 is impossible to foresee at present how it can be solved. A 

 due appreciation of the difficulties of this task leads us to 

 the conclusion that, although a number of varieties can be 

 safely tried on a small scale, for distribution purposes it 

 would repay the Department to work with one deshi and 

 one American only. Afterwards when it is known that 

 special tracts require their own special varieties, then the 

 safest course to pursue would be to establish seed farms on 

 these areas. This has been already successfully accom- 

 plished in the Central Provinces. 



Messrs. Tata & Sons of Bombay have courteously given 

 me a report on Punjab cottons drawn up by one of their 

 agents who was buying Upland cottons. The following is 

 the gist of it : " The deshi and American cotton grown in 

 the Lyallpur District have been deteriorated by boll weevil 

 and frost and in some parts large tracts of cotton fields 

 have been totally destroyed. The total crop in this district 

 would be about 10,000 to 11,000 bales, whereas last year it 

 was about 35,000 bales. The general complaints about the 

 kcifas this year are large percentage of unripe kafas, 

 yellow stains from boll weevil and short staple. These 

 tend to give decreased outturn and dull colour. The culti- 

 vation of American cotton is not yet universally taken up 

 in the whole district. It is chiefly grown on the horse- 

 breeding farms, called Risala, the Agricultural Farm and 

 by a few private farmers. The crop of Risala No. 15 is 

 the best in the district this season. The seed was obtained 

 from the Agricultural Farm, which obtained it from Dhar- 

 war some years ago. On the whole the quality of this 

 cotton is good except that no care seems to have been taken 

 in picking. The fibres are strong and pliable and the 

 regularity in their length would enable good yarn up to 

 24' to 40' to be made in warp and weft. I am sorry I am 

 not able to make the same remarks on other American 

 cottons grown in the district. 



