INSTITUTE, rtJSA, FOR 1917-18 135 



REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL COTTON 

 SPECIALIST. 



(G. A. Gammie, F.L.S.) 



I. Charge. 

 I held charge of the post throughout the year. 



II. Cottons in the Provinces. 



Bombay Presidency. 



Khandesh. The whole energies of the local Depart- 

 ment have been devoted to the growth and distribution of 

 the N. It. cotton (Khandesh neglectum roseum > almost 

 identical with the roseum of the Central Provinces). 

 There is a large seed farm at Jalgaon, and it is supple- 

 mented by areas under registered seed-growers. During 

 these last two years, however, it has been found that roseum 

 suffers more from untimely late rains than the ordinary 

 Khandesh mixture, and many cultivators are voluntarily 

 reverting to the former practice of growing the old mix- 

 ture. In cotton, as in other crops, there are sound reasons 

 underlying the cultivator's method of mixed cropping. 

 While much progress has been made in the distribution of 

 purified N. R. cotton, which is the most profitable type of 

 cotton to the cultivator in the Khandesh mixture, it was 

 felt that some account should be taken of its comparative 

 failure in the last two abnormal seasons and more attention 

 should be paid to the production of a yellow-flowered 

 variety which could take its place, an alternative to be pre- 

 ferred to that of the cultivators returning to their old mix- 

 ture derived from fresh and uncertain sources. To this 

 end we have introduced, for experimental purposes, the 

 Sindewahi Cross from the Central Provinces and K.22 

 cotton produced by Mr. Leake at Cawnpore. 



