SECTION II: VAR. ROSEA 113 



cotton, n. 213-1, contributed by Mr. Lawrence Balls, Khedivial Agricultural 

 Society's Laboratories, Cairo. 



Nomenclature. When shown a typical example of this plant by Varadi 

 itself, there is little difficulty in admitting it to a varietal position. cotton- 

 But when the study is extended to the cotton fields it is found that 

 the transition into the ordinary form of var. neglecta is so gradual 

 and continuous that it becomes impossible to separate the two. 

 In fact the so-called acclimatised Garo Hill cotton of Nagpur, so 

 far as the specimens seen by me indicate, might perhaps better be 

 described as the present plant rather than as a form (hybrid) of 

 var. assamica. The cultivators of India, being familiar with the 

 normal condition of G. arboreum and of var. neglecta, had brought 

 to them this robust and hardy plant, with its small pinkish-white 

 flowers and large bolls, to which they at once gave distinctive names, 

 such as those mentioned above. It is the most inferior of all 

 Indian cottons, though the most prolific yielder. The advance of 

 the varadi cotton across India might be said to have been, some 

 few years ago, regularly chronicled from district to district, and 

 hailed as a treasure by the advocates of low-grade cottons and 

 viewed as a calamity by others. Professor Middleton says : ' White- 

 flowered cotton is a dangerous rival to the finer varieties. By nature 

 it is made to supplant. When brought to a new locality, instead of 

 pining, as most exiled cottons do, it develops all its best properties, 

 grows robust, matures early, is prolific, and so wins the favour 

 of the cultivators ; once established, it begins to degenerate, joins 

 company with the worst of the native varieties, and forms the mixed 

 growths that constitute the bulk of the " Bengals " of commerce.' 



It is thus most curious that the name mlayati (English) should be p5 ev , r , 

 often given to this plant, as also to several of the more robust forms hybrids, 

 of var. neglecta. That name would seem, in fact, almost suggestive 

 of Major Trevor Clarke's endeavours to cross the immensely prolific 

 var. assamica with the Hinganghat silky cottons (see pp. Ill, 336), 

 the name being thus expressive of the actual origin of at least some 

 of the special stocks to which it is given. Wherever met with, 

 throughout India, it is almost invariably associated with Khandesh 

 and Berar, and only began to attract attention about the very time 

 of the introduction into those provinces of Major Trevor Clarke's 

 cross-bred stocks. If this suggestion proves correct, it would thus 

 come about that the first direct effort at cross-breeding Indian 



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