Cotton Culture. 615 



COTTON CULTURE. 



By PiETER Koch, B.Sc.Aot., Manager, Tobacco Experiment 

 Station, Elsenbiirg', Mulder's Vlei. 



The cotton plant is one of tbe most important, if not tlie most 

 important, fibre plant cultivated. From its products liundreds of 

 necessaries are manufactured. Eor instance, from tbe fibre, clotbes, 

 explosives, etc., are made; from tbe seed, oil, soap, a kind of butter, 

 and many otber articles; and from the seedmeal, animal foods, ferti- 

 lizers, and dyestuffs. 



Tbe normal world production of cotton lint is about twenfy to 

 twenty-five million bales of 500 lb. eacb, and of tbis amount Soutb 

 Africa produces very little. Tbe farmers of our country bave been 

 trying to grow cotton for many years, but until a few years back 

 tbeir efforts bave met witb failure tbroug-b lack of knowledge of 

 cultural metbods and want of gins and means of conveyance. Cotton 

 culture bas, however, made rapid progress in recent years (since 1912), 

 especially in the warmer parts of tbe Transvaal and also in Natal, 

 and its future is very promising. Every year sees an increasing 

 acreage under cotton, so that at present some thousands of acres are 

 devoted exclusively to tbis purpose. 



Botany. — Botanically cotton belongs to tbe Malvaceae, and falls 

 under tbe genus Gossypivm. Cotton is generally divided into two 

 groups, namely the American and the Asiatic group. In South 

 Africa the first group only is grown, which includes the TJplai.id 

 varieties (or Gossypium hirsutum). Sea Island (or Gassy p mm borha- 

 dense), and Peruvian Cotton (or Gossypium perwlanv.in). The first 

 of these three includes all tbe short and some of TJie long-staple 

 varieties, and is grown mostly in tbe Transvaal and Natal; tbe 

 'second named produces the best, longest, and most valuable lint, and 

 is grown on a small scale along the coastal regions of Natal find 

 Kaffraria: the third is the most important cotton of Egypt, and bas 

 a beautiful, glossy appearance and a yellowish colour. This variety is 

 still under experiment, and it bas not yet been proved whether it will 

 thrive in the ITnion. 



Experiments bave also been made witb a tree cotton (Caravoiitca), 

 but witb unsatisfactory i-esults. 



Nyasaland Upland is being grown in tbe coastal regions on a 

 small scale. 



Tbe difference between Upland and Sea Island is that tbe former 

 is taller, witb longer and thinner branches, mucb longer leaves, and 

 small pointed bolls, and it ripens much later. Further, the fresh 

 flower is more velloAvisb in. colour, with red spots at tbe base, longer 



