300 
and to work entirely with self-fertilized seed. This circunistance 
adds greatly to the labour involved in the work, and also entails as 
a preliminary the isolation of pure lines fide the mass of splitting 
forms (which make up the bulk of the cotton crop of India) before 
crossing can be begun. Further, an improved type will have to 
grow separately, and every care taken to keep the seed supply pure 
and to prevent any Ea realy taking place as a result of vicinism. 
These aspects of the subject have been dealt with at Cawnpore 
and the results incorporated in an interesting paper in the Memoirs 
of the Agricultural Department of India (Botanical Series). During 
the progress of this work it was observed, both in the pure types 
and in the crosses, that some of the cultures carried on from year 
to year by means = self-fertilized seed exhibited varying degrees 
of sterility. These matters, however, were not for various reasons 
thoroughly Notkiod out, but it is hoped ‘that opportunity will be found 
to investigate them more fully in the future. As regards the method 
by which crossing takes place between different types of cotton, 
the authors consider that most of the crossing takes place between 
neighbouring plants, and that a distance of ten feet between the 
various plots is sufficient to greatly reduce, if not to prevent, it 
altogether. If these observations are found to apply to other 
cotton-growing tracts in India, one of the difficulties in endivbainivg 
a pure seed supply for distribution to cultivators will have been 
removed, It is now generally recognised that the degenera- 
<— which results when improved conditions are introduced into 
new country is largely a result of vicinism. The exotics, in 
the first place, are often a mixture of types which cross among each 
other, while further degeneration results from crossing and admix- 
ture with local sorts. It is more than probable that the want of 
success in introducing foreign cottons into India in the past has 
been mainly due to natural cross-fertilization. It is possible, there- 
fore, that if the work of introduction is properly carried on in the 
future considerable success might easily be obtained in this direc- 
tion,” 
Attention may also here be called to the “ Papers and Reports on 
Cotton Cultivation ” presented to ar poeta ene Congress of 
Tropical Agriculture, Brussels, May, 19 
XXXV.—MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 
Colonial Appointments.— We learn that Mr. S. Stmpson has been 
appointed ype of Agriculture, Uganda, in succession to Mr. 
P. H. Lams, who has been appointed Director of Agriculture, 
Northern Recs, 
also learn that Mr. F, Evans, Curator, Royal Botanic 
Gardens, Trinidad (K.B., 1903, p. 31), has been appointed Assistant: 
Superintendent in the Agricultural Department, Southern Nigeria. 
Harry Dopp.—lIt is with great regret that we have to record’ 
the news of the death of Mr. H. Dodd, in India, on se 3rd, 
conveyed to us through the India Office. 
