228 KUMPTA COTTON AND ITS IMPROVEMENT 



The distribution of these two cottons is shown in the accompan5^ing 

 sketch maps (Plates II and IIIj. The kumjHa cotton is obviously the dominant 

 cotton in these three districts. It is exclusively groAMii in Belgaum. In 

 Dharwar, where the American introductions of the last century have taken 

 deepest root, these latter vary between 34 and 39 per cent, of the cotton 

 area. In Bijapm' Dharwar- American cotton only occupies from 13 to 15 per 

 cent, of the cotton area, and a small but indefinite amount of Gossypium 

 neglect iwb and Gossypium indicum cottons are also grown in the north and 

 east of the district. It will be seen that in the British districts of the 

 Bombay Presidency only, there are over 1,200;000 acres imder this cotton on 

 the average. 



The tract in which it will be seen from these figures that kimipla cotton 

 is cultivated, possesses features of climate and soil which distinctly mark it 

 off from most other Indian cotton areas, and which seem to be peculiarly 

 favourable to the types of Gossypimn herbacemn which go by this 

 name. 



Soils of the humpta tract. First with regard to soil. We are here at the 

 southern extremity of the great area of black cotton soil derived frtm the 

 Deccan trap. In fact it is in this region that the Deccan trap disappears, 

 and the soils derived from it are replaced partially or wholly by those resulting 

 from old sandstones and quartzites in the Belgaum and Bijapur Districts and 

 from shales and schists in the Dharwar area proper. The soils are, therefore, 

 very variable. Where the soil is chiefly a highly decomposed trap soil, it is 

 usually very stiff and clayey ; where it is entirely derived from the other rocks 

 mentioned, it is usually light in character ; while where there are mixtures of 

 the two it has an intermediate character. The kumpta cotton is almost entii'ely 

 restricted to the deep black almost pure trap soils, and to the medium black 

 soils which consist of a mixture of trap soil with that derived from the other 

 rocks. In other words, it is restricted most largely to the stiffer kinds of land. 

 This is also largely true, though not to the same extent, of Dharwar- 

 American cotton, for this latter is also grown and yields well on some of the 

 red soils of southern part of the Dharwar District. So far as the kumjAa 

 cotton is concerned it seems universally foimd that under the climatic 

 conditions found in the area mider discussion, a shallow or light soil means a 

 poor outturn and a low ginning percentage. In other words, the yield 

 and ginning percentage both fall ofE as the soil becomes less retentive of 

 moisture. 



Rainfall of the " kumpta " tract. The districts in Avhich kump)ia cotton is 

 grown can be divided, so far as rainfall is concerned, into three areas. To the 



