INSTITUTE, PUSA, FOR 1917-18 137 



in this tract appears to be due to two causes : — (1) N. R. 

 and N. R. C. types ripen a little earlier than the other 

 types of the mathio mixture, the fully ripe bolls also appear 

 more fluffy and larger in size. It is therefore probable that 

 the first opened bolls may have been selected by the culti- 

 vators for their future seed requirements, (2) Middlemen, 

 who actually sell the ka/pas after testing the out-turn of lint, 

 may have sorted coarse cotton (N. R. and N R. C. having a 

 high ginning out-turn) from the general heaps in the gin- 

 neries. As in other parts, e.g., Kathiawar, there is a gene- 

 ral complaint that mathio exhausts the soil and the succeed- 

 ing crop of jowar (A. Sorghum) or bajri (Pennisetum 

 typhoideum) with which cotton is rotated, has considerably 

 fallen off in out-turn. Cultivators of late have gradually 

 taken to the growing of wagad, but it will be difficult to 

 oust mathio altogether. 



In the Dhollera tract, rozi is being rapidly replaced 

 by ghogari. 



In the Ahmedabad District, wagad is restricted to 

 besur and black soils, while lalio is reserved for goradu or 

 the lighter class of soils; on these, when irrigated, its out- 

 turn is sometimes almost doubled. In wagad it is better 

 to select round rather than pointed bolls for quality and 

 out-turn. 



In the Panch Mahals the prevailing type was kanvi, 

 but this has been replaced by ghogari on account of its 

 high ginning percentage. At Dohad farm a number of 

 varieties have been tried, amongst them Cambodia and 

 bliuri. These have been rejected and tests are being con- 

 tinued with N. R. strains, Sindewahi Cross, and K.22. 

 Owing to the retentive nature of the soil and the chance 

 of frost which occurs at intervals of years these are not 

 altogether satisfactory. Cotton as a crop is not extend- 

 ing on this area as the people get a good return from the 

 double-cropping of maize and san (Crotalaria juncea). 



It would be well if the Department refrained from 

 further experiments towards the introduction of "N". R. 



K 



