PREFACE. 



The improvement of cro^^s in India in which cross-fertiHzation 

 takes place is attended with considerable difficulty. These diffi- 

 culties not only concern the production of an unproved type at an 

 Experiment Station but also interfere with the maintenance of the 

 quality both on the seed farms and also in the cultivators' fields 

 themselves. 



In 1906, a detailed study was undertaken of the fibre plant 

 Hibiscus cannabinus, L., which, hke cotton, cross-fertilizes to some 

 extent and in which uniformity of fibre is also essential. The 

 results obtained are described in the present paper. It has been 

 found that the ill-effects of vicinism can be almost entirely pre- 

 vented in this crop by utilizing the differences between the various 

 types which occur in the seedling and early vegetative stages. 

 It is probable that similar methods can be applied to cotton 

 and possibly also to other Indian crops in which natural crossing 

 takes place and in which propagation from single plants is 

 attended with difficulties. 



PusA, ALBERT HOWARD. 



December 16th, 1910. GABRIELLE L. C HOWARD. 



