1864.] lawson's botanical notes. II 



in the Punjab in raising silk and hops. Wild mushrooms are 

 abundant in the rains atShahpoor; of which, according to Dr. G. 

 Henderson, there are two edible sorts, — one globular, and the 

 other exactly like an English mushroom. 



22. Improvement of Cotton in India. — Dr. Henderson 

 reports that his experiments with the finer kinds of cotton, of 

 which seeds have been imported, have been very successful. His 

 remarks throw a welcome light upon the present aspect of cotton 

 culture in India. He says that the cotton seed sent to him was 

 sown in April, and succeeded wonderfully: many of the plants are 

 over three feet high, and six feet in circumference round the bush.. 

 Some sea-island cotton sown a few days before has been giving 

 an early crop for some time. The New Orleans seemed to thrive 

 best : it has been in flower for a few days. The reason of the sea- 

 island giving an early crop is believed to be that after fre- 

 quent and regular watering, it was passed over once or twice, 

 and the check thus caused during the hot winds made it flower. 

 An early crop might in this way be got from all second year's 

 plants before the rains come on, if it would not weaken th& 

 plants too much. Dr. H. visited some wells where Egyptian seed 

 had been distributed, and found that very little had germinated, 

 and also that the plants were mixed with native cotton. The 

 Zeminders say what is very true, that they cannot aff'ord to try 

 experiments : they know exactly the value of country cotton,, 

 but had no experience of the American sorts. It seems that 

 the best mode of securing a fair trial of American cotton by the 

 Zeminders would be for government or local committees to 

 adopt the same method as Mr. Wightman does, — to supply seed 

 known to be good, to stipulate for its being sown in a particular 

 way, and to guarantee a certain amount per beegah, so that if the 

 crop failed, the Zeminder would not lose by it. If in each district 

 eight or ten beegalis were thus grown, the natives would be able 

 to judge for themselves as to the advantage of growing foreign 

 cotton. Dr. H. sowed some New Orleans seed near a road 

 leading to the Cutchery, and, as expected, the Zeminders often 

 came to look at the plants, and asked questions about the new 

 cotton. 



23. Indian Bamboos. — Eftorts are being made to extend 

 the growth of the bamboo as widely as possible throughout the 

 Punjab. The kinds of which seeds are being collected for dis- 

 tribution are these : 



