INSTITUTE, PUSA, FOR 1917-18 143 



percentage determined; variation was observed and the 

 best were kept and grown in 1915 and since then the pure 

 strains are grown. 



Wag ale on the Tatkon farm now gives a ginning per- 

 centage of 36 and avense up to 42. 



In the case of wagyi, from a single plant selection a 

 strain has been isolated which gives 45 or about 6 per cent, 

 higher ginning percentage than the unselected crop. Mr. 

 McKerrel thinks that these cultures will maintain their 

 superiority and thus seed will be available for distribution 

 purposes in the near future. 



Cambodia on the Tatkon farm and Utopia (New Orleans 

 type) on the Padu farm did not show promise. The : former 

 is considerably subject to insect pests and red leaf blight 

 and the latter appeared to be a very poor yielder, bolls do 

 not open properly and it is particularly attacked by 

 insects. 



Some crosses with wagyi and broach have been made, to 

 replace wagyi which ripens late, but it is doubtful whether 

 these crosses will remain fertile. 



On the Tatkon farm, a very promising cross between 

 Shan State cotton and wagale, var. avense, is made; this 

 strain has a ginning out-turn of 40 per cent, as compared 

 with 33 in ordinary wagale. The testing of this strain 

 on a field scale will in a short time throw sufficient light on 

 the cotton question in Burma. 



It is certain that a great advance can be effected by 

 selection of the local types alone. 



In order to increase the area under cotton it is essential 

 that the grower be given a reasonable price for the produce, 

 ginneries be opened in suitable tracts to induce keen com- 

 petition among buyers, and that the cultivator should use 

 the drill in sowing, thus saving a lot of seed and rendering 

 after cultivation easier whereby the crop will grow even 

 and should give a better out-turn. 



A cknowledgments. Thanks are due to Messrs. Tata & 

 Sons for their generous help in passing judgment on all the 

 samples submitted to them. 



