INSTITT'TE AND COLLEGE, PFSA, FOR 1911-12. 



93 



" I have seen several samples of American cotton grown 

 by farmers and have not seen any equal to that of No. 16 

 Risala. Generally there is an apathy to cultivate Ameri- 

 can cotton as it gives less percentage of lint and requires 

 more care than deshi kafas. The Agricultural Farm is 

 striving hard to select such American seed as would suit 

 the climate and give a large percentage of lint and long 

 stapled cotton. During the short time of its existence it 

 has distributed various sorts of American seeds among the 

 farmers and hence the trouble, as many of the American 

 varieties are not suitable to the climate. The farmer also 

 gives the American the same treatment as his deshi sorts. 

 As the fibre of the American cotton is very thin and fine, 

 special care is essential in picking and handling. The 

 method of storing the kajyas is also very defective, and this 

 defect is not only found among the uneducated farmers as 

 I was surprised to see the kafas of the Agricultural Farm 

 stored in large, iron cisterns about 15 to 20 feet high. The 

 stuff was not loosely packed but it was pressed hard, a 

 procedure which is sure to spoil the staple and colour and 

 increase the waste in the blow-room. If a proper method 

 is pursued throughout there is a splendid future for Ameri - 

 can cotton in this district. The soil is rich and, from the 

 farmer's point of view, the soil that gives good wheat can 

 also yield a good cotton crop. It may be that the improve- 

 ment cannot be achieved in a few years, but the picking 

 can be improved now, if more care be taken. To make the 

 American cotton grown in India commerciallv successful 

 it is very essential indeed that particular care should be 

 taken in picking. I send you two samples of cotton, both 

 from the same farm (No. 15 Risala) and from the same 

 seed. The only difference between them is that the former 

 was carefully picked and such a sample can be commer- 

 cially classed as F. G. M. ; the latter, though equal in staple 

 and regularity, can be classed between L. M. and Med." 



In a further communication Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co. 

 have given me the results of the working of Lyallpur cotton, 

 compared with American, hani and bhuri types. The 



