Leake and ram prasad. 63 



system of cultivation, and may perhaps of itself be able to maintain 

 its dominant position in the mixture of which the crop in reality 

 consists. Frequently, however, this is not the case, and even in its 

 country of origin the dominant position is only maintained by a 

 continuous system of roguing. Such a commercial variety is in the 

 optimum condition to exhibit this phenomenon of ' degeneration ' 

 when grown under changed conditions, and when these conditions 

 include, in addition to climatic differences, a less careful cultivation 

 and cessation of the process of roguing, it is hardly a matter for 

 surprise that some of the hardier forms contained in the mixture 

 should assert themselves to the partial or complete exclusion of 

 the finer ones. 



The process of acclimatization has consequently been marked 

 inmost, if not in all, cases by a deterioration of the produce which 

 has been in many cases attributed to a degeneration of the race,* 

 but it is more probably simply the self-assertion of those impuri- 

 ties which are best suited to the new environment. The problem 

 of the introduction of exotic races, consequently assumes a new 

 aspect. Viewed in this light, the larger the original importation 

 of seed, the less would appear to be the chance of successful intro- 

 duction owing to the greater difficulty in the control of this process 

 of displacement of one form by another. If acclimatization on a 

 practical basis be possible, it requires, for the development of the 

 conditions most favourable to success, to be carried out in a manner 

 which admits of the detailed work involved in the extraction, testing 

 and multiplication, of the better components as single plant, or, 

 at least, pure cultures. For this purpose a comparatively small 

 importation and a comparatively small area is all that is at first ne- 

 cessary. Whether, under such conditions, it is possible to raise 

 a race of exotic cotton suited to the conditions of Northern India 

 can only be tested by experiment for on this matter the evidence 

 afi'orded by the past lack of success is irrelevant. It is not desired 

 here to re-awaken hopes which have so frequently been raised in 



* Watt, Wild acd Cultivated Cottons, p. 19!l. 



