13 



can be grown successfully in semi-tropical climates, that is, wher- 

 ever sugar cane will grow. During the last few years, this cotton 

 has been grown in the Hawaiian Islands, and the climate has 

 proved to be admirably adapted to it. 



The best soil for this particular cotton is loose, sandy loam per- 

 mitting percolation of rain water and allowing underground water 

 to rise by capillarity within reach of the roots of the plants. This 

 will also allow heat and air to reach the roots more readily than 

 dense clays. 



ENEMIES. 



Caravonica is very healthy and highly resistant to pests. This 

 has been the experience in every country where it has been grown. 

 A little before the rainy season, the trees should be well pruned 

 and after cropping a severe pruning is useful in preventing the 

 development of insect pests. This cotton seems for some reason 

 to have less enemies than others and they appear less often and 

 after the first year they are powerless to do great damage. 



VARIETIES. 



There are three varieties of Caravonica cotton. The first one is 

 known as "wool," the second as "silk," and the third as "Cara- 

 vonica kidney." The first one yields a very strong, rough, but 

 regular fiber ; the second produces silky and long staple with great 

 strength ; and the third or kidney variety is very similar to the 

 sea island cotton, except that the plant is as large as the former 

 and also being a perennial plant. The wool Caravonica derived 

 its name on accovmt of being serviceable for mixing with wool, 

 while the silk variety was advantageously used with silk. 



HARVESTING AND YIELD. 



'This cotton is easy to pick on account of the large size of the 

 bolls, running about fifty to a pound. The bolls open well but 

 hold the seed firmly, so that it does not easily blow off ; and the 

 crop lasts about five to six months. 



Each tree ought to yield from eight to fourteen pounds of bolls 

 of fifty or sixty per cent, lint, and Dr. Thomatis stated that his 

 average yield has been from one thousand to one thousand two 

 hundred of clean lint to the acre. The wool variety has yielded 

 over sixty per cent., the silk variety fifty per cent., and the Cara- 

 vonica kidney over forty-five per cent. lint. With three hundred 

 or five hundred bolls each tree bears from four to seven pounds of 

 seed cotton ; and on the 'average one hundred ten bolls will give 

 one pound lint and one pound seed. In Australia, Caravonica has 

 yielded somewhat over one thousand two hundred pounds clean 

 lint per acre, while the average in this country is about five hun- 



