COTTON PRODUCTION 73 



tive, and probably have not been varied for centuries. 

 The farmer usually practises some form of rotation, 

 and obtains two crops (such as wheat and cotton) or 

 even three (such as wheat, cotton and beans) from 

 the same land in one year. 



Since 1895, several cotton-mills have been estab- 

 lished in China in which the locally-grown cotton is 

 chiefly employed. In spite of this, the exports of 

 raw cotton have steadily increased, and during the 

 years 1899 1908 amounted, on the average, to about 

 95,400,000 Ib. per annum, about 90 per cent, of 

 which went to Japan. In 1912 the exports were 

 about 107 million Ib., and in 1913 about 98 million Ib. 



Chinese cotton is of rough staple, about J to f inch 

 long ; although shorter than Indian cotton, it is of 

 whiter appearance and freer from seed and leaf. The 

 fraudulent practice of watering the cotton to increase 

 its weight before sale still continues, in spite of official 

 proclamations forbidding it. 



Japan. The cotton plant is said to have been first 

 introduced into Japan in 781 A.D. from India, but its 

 cultivation soon ceased. It was probably re-intro- 

 duced by the Portuguese in 1592. 



About one-half of the crop is produced in West 

 Japan, about two-fifths in Central Japan, and the 

 remainder in Shikoku, Kiushiu, and North Japan. 



There are three varieties of cotton plant in Japan, 

 bearing white, yellow and red flowers respectively, 

 of which the yellow kind predominates. The seed 

 is sown at the beginning of May, and the crop is 

 harvested in September. As soon as the first leaves 

 appear, manures, such as oil-cake and fish-guano, 

 are applied in the furrows between the plants. The 

 plants are usually thinned out about the middle of 

 June. Ginning is effected by a primitive implement 

 known as the " rokuro " which corresponds with the 

 Indian " churka." 



The cotton is usually of good quality, of fair lustre 

 and elasticity, but rarely more than three-quarters 

 of an inch long. During recent years the production 

 has gradually diminished, and the Japanese spinning 

 industry has become more and more dependent on 



