SECTION II: BERAR COTTON 131 



considerable range within even the nadams. Generally speaking they Inferior 

 are the inferior cottons of the Madras Presidency ; have often flowers jf ad^a 8 

 pink in bud and turning reddish purple with age (hence called 

 yerra cottons) ; they are sown either during the north-east monsoon 

 (September to November) or during the south-west monsoons (from 

 April to June), and occupy the land from three to five or more years. 

 They begin to bear in about nine months after sowing, and yield two 

 harvests in their second year, viz. the one in September and the 

 other in January. They are mostly grown on red sandy or stony 

 soils, very rarely on black soils. They are for the most part 

 perennials and as such attain a height of six or eight feet ; they are 

 accordingly largely cultivated as mixed crops, being grown in rows 

 through the fields or as hedges to protect other crops. 



19. Var. Bani, Watt: G. HEEBACEUM, Linn., var. Berar Cotton 

 Boxb., Fl. Ind. in. (1832) 185 ; Middkton, I.e. pi. m., G. HERBA- 

 CEUM, VAR. JETHI, Gammie, I.e. 4 pi. iv. ; Diet. Econ. Prod. I.e. 

 88, 129. 



The description of the shape of the leaves and colour of the Descrip- 

 flowers of this plant is almost precisely that given for nadam, except 

 that the leaves in the finest grades of bani are much larger, thinner 

 in texture, more undulated in outline, and much more hairy. The 

 bracteoles are usually very large, purple, entire or with a few long 

 pointed teeth. It is a cold weather and early maturity cotton, and 

 yields the fibre in five to six months. Advantage is taken of this 

 fact to grow it during favourable months without irrigation. Ac- 

 cordingly cultivation has been recommended for regions where at 

 present it is not grown, advantage being taken of artificial irrigation, 

 as for example, in the Jhelum and Chenab canal systems. 



Habitat. In India it occurs in Berar, the Central Provinces, Berar &o. 

 Kathiawar, Sind, Southern Panjab, the United Provinces, Behar and 

 the drier tracts of Bengal. Is essentially the best cotton met with 

 on all the dry soils that have to be classed as second best in cotton 

 production. It is also found in Africa (Abyssinia), Madagascar, and 

 Gorontalo, N. Celebes. 



Citation of Specimens. In Kew Herbarium : Boyle's sample from N.W. g Bec j. 

 Ind. ; Mr. Riedel's specimen, presented by Dr. Meyer in June 1875 ; Banda, mens. 

 Mrs. A. S. Bell n. 371 ex Herb. Calc. ; an extensive series (of date 1891) 

 from Saharanpur herbarium. In Herb. E.E.P. (Cult. Poona Exp. Farm) 

 deshi n. 21,874, Sultanpur n. 21,878, jethi n. 21,876, mathio, n. 21,889, moto 



K2 



