H. MAKTIN I-EAKE ANH KAM PKRSHAD. HI 



Tj'pe 3 and Tj'pe 4 the seed is naked and in the latter type the 

 purple eye on the petal is also absent. The group of Asiatic 

 cottons constitutes Watt's Section II, Fuzzj' seeded cottons with 

 United Bracteoles, and are characterised by, among other points, 

 the "petals with purple claws." If these Chinese forms, which, 

 in general habit, show a distinct siinilarit}' to members of the 

 Asiatic group, are here included, the definition of the group 

 breaks down and the united l)racteoles alone remain to charac- 

 terise the group. 



Tiie lint of this series shows considerable variation. Of 

 certain plants it is exceedingly coarse and short, rivalling in this 

 res()ect that of (J. cernuum, Tod. Of other plants it is long and 

 to a certain degiee silky. In no case has anj' particular crop 

 been found to be uniform in tliis respect, and it has. therefore, 

 been im|)<)8sii)le bo obtain a sufficient sample of lint from the 

 plants with a higlier grade staple to obtain a valuation. Some 

 of the best are being carried on as single plant cultures, and from 

 these it is hoped sub-sequentl}' to get valuations. 



Tlie entire series of China cottons have been obtained by 

 the courte.s3' of the Superintendent, Botanit^al and Forestry 

 Department, Hong-Kong, and may now be briefly described. 



1 — i Ueceived from H B. M.'.s Cun.sul, China. Cottons grown ii\ the Shantung 

 Province. 



1 From the Ching Ping district. 

 This cotton proved to be Type 1 with which were mixed a few plants of the 

 American Type. 



2. From tlie Ko Tong Chan district. 

 This consisted of Type 1 in a condition of purity. 



3. From the Lik Chang district. 



This was found to consist of a mixture of Type I with a few plants of the 

 American type. 



4. From the Shau Kwong district. 



The crop appeared to be Type I in a condition of purity. 

 5—7. Cottons grown in the Province of Shanghai. 



5. Sample labelled Yellow Cotton. 



This crop was found to contain mixture of Types 1 and 2 of which the latter 

 greatly preponderated. 



6. Sample labelled White Cotton, First Variety. 



The crop was entirely composed of Type 1, the individual plants differing only 

 the quality of fibre and the number of leaf glands. 



