CULTIVATION 31 



are now removed, and the pistil of the prepared flower 

 is dusted with the pollen of the other. The seed 

 resulting from the cross is carefully planted, and 

 furnishes a number of different forms. From these, 

 a single plant which exhibits the desired qualities is 

 chosen, and the seed from this plant alone is used 

 for further improvement. By selecting the seed of 

 the second generation for sowing, and repeating the 

 process with several succeeding generations, a satis- 

 factory strain may be established. Many experts 

 do not regard artificial hybridisation as a satisfactory 

 method for obtaining improved varieties of cotton, 

 but prefer to take the seed of exceptionally fine plants 

 in the field, sow these, and submit their offspring to 

 the process of seed selection already described. 



Efforts are now being made in India, Egypt and other 

 countries to obtain improved varieties of cotton by 

 means of hybridisation and selection experiments, 

 conducted in accordance with the principles estab- 

 lished by Mendel. 



It is of fundamental importance that such scientific 

 work in breeding experiments should be systematically 

 conducted although immediate results cannot be 

 expected. 



Perennial Cottons. The methods of cultivation 

 described in the foregoing pages refer to the growth 

 of the cotton plant as an annual. A few words must 

 be added with regard to perennial cottons. The 

 cotton plant is naturally of perennial habit, and there 

 is no species known which grows wild in its native 

 country as an annual. There is little doubt that in 

 early times the cottons of India were grown entirely 

 as perennials, and the same is true of those of Egypt, 

 the cotton plant which was introduced into the latter 

 country by Jumel in 1 820 being described as a peren- 

 nial tree (vide page 54). As the demand for cotton 

 increased, it was doubtless observed that a more 

 regular crop could be obtained by planting afresh 

 each year, and probably for this reason the perennial 

 forms were gradually replaced by annuals. More- 

 over, when the plant is cultivated in a climate which 

 during part of the year is hostile to its growth, the 



