CULTIVATION 17 



CULTIVATION 



Cotton is chiefly cultivated in the tropical and 

 semi-tropical parts of the Northern Hemisphere, and, 

 to a much smaller extent, in the Southern Hemisphere. 

 In the Northern Hemisphere the northern limit of 

 cotton cultivation is, in general, the 4oth degree 

 of latitude. In the United States of America it does 

 not extend much beyond the 37th parallel, except 

 for a few isolated patches in the States of Kentucky 

 and Missouri. In Europe, however, cotton is grown 

 considerably beyond the 4oth degree, the industry 

 being carried on in Eastern Roumelia, on the Southern 

 slopes of the Balkans at 424o' latitude, whilst in 

 Central Asia cotton is grown for local consumption 

 as far north as 443O / . In China and Japan the cul- 

 tivation does not extend beyond the 4Oth parallel. 

 In the Southern Hemisphere cotton is not grown 

 nearly so far from the equator as it is in the Northern 

 Hemisphere, the limit being reached at about 25. 



Climate. The cotton plant requires considerable 

 warmth and sunshine for its satisfactory growth. 

 About six or seven months are occupied in the grow- 

 ing and maturing of the crop, and it is therefore 

 necessary that the climate of the country should be 

 such as to maintain the necessary conditions for this 

 length of time. During the growing period a mean 

 monthly temperature of 65 to 8oF. is desirable. 

 The temperature should be fairly uniform since the 

 plant is very susceptible to sudden changes of tem- 

 perature, and any check tends to produce premature 

 ripening. The rainfall during this period should be 

 such as to yield a uniform supply of moisture, keeping 

 the soil continuously moist but not wet. The most 

 favourable weather is that which provides much 

 sunshine during the day, and heavy dews or light 

 showers of rain at night. In the earlier periods of 

 growth, moderate showers of rain do not cause any 

 damage, but, as soon as the flowers have opened, dry 

 warm weather must prevail or otherwise the plant 

 suffers considerably and the yield is markedly 

 diminished. Heavy storms or continuous rains are 



