SECTION II: BENGAL COTTON 95 



perennial cottons, to make them yield better, it will be found is 

 mentioned by many writers.) 



At Desberah, in Broach, Hove was told the red cotton was 

 known as ' Dyva Nerma Capass.' As seen at Sabermatty, it had 

 blossoms of a prodigiously large size, not unlike 'the Gossypium 

 arbor eum on the coast of Guinea.' At Sunerwara the red-flowered 

 species was called Semul. One of the most remarkable features of 

 Hove's account of the Bombay cotton cultivation, 120 years ago, 

 is the stress he lays upon the necessity for free irrigation, with 

 yellow-flowered cotton, which in this respect differs, he adds, 

 materially from the red. 



From Hamilton and Hove we are thus driven to the belief that Red- 

 a red-flowered cotton was, a century ago, both more abundant and cottons, 

 more important than it is to-day. Still, however, here and there 

 special mention is made of red-flowered cottons existing as regular 

 crops even to-day. Messrs. Duthie and Fuller (' Field and Garden 

 Crops of the United Provinces of India,' i., 75), after dealing with the 

 prevalent form of cotton (var. neglecta), observe that in Oudh and 

 the more eastern districts of the provinces, there ' is a species known 

 as G. arboreum, with much fleshier and more shining leaves.' It is 

 ordinarily known as narma or manua, and a superior variety, met 

 with in Allahabad district, is called radya. Both these differ greatly 

 from the ordinary cotton (kapas) in the season of their growth, not 

 bearing cotton till the hot-weather months instead cf the end of the 

 rains. It will be recollected that Hamilton's specimen (n. 1549) 

 was in flower in June, and would thus seem to have corresponded 

 with the Oudh plant. I have not, however, seen authentic specimens 

 of these Oudh cottons, but have little doubt in accepting them as 

 being either forms of G. arboreum, var. sanguinea or of G. Nanking, 

 var. rubicunda. 



The subject of the red-flowered field cottons of India (of the 

 G. arboreum series) would thus seem well worthy of fresh and ex- 

 haustive study. (Cf. with the remarks below under G. Nanking, var. 

 rubicunda, p. 127.) 



12. Var. neglecta, Watt: G. NEGLECTUM, Tod., Eelaz. Cotoni, Bengal 

 Palermo (1877), 169-75 ; CUDUPARITI (ALCEA MALABARENSIS), cotton - 

 Bheede, Hort. Mai (1686), i., 55, t. 31 ; G. HERBACEUM MADERAS- 



PATENSE MINUS, FLORE SULPHUREO PENTAPHYLL&UM 

 PARETTY MALABARORUM, Plukenet, Amalth. Bot. iv., 107; 



