292 



know if you can give us the returns per acre which are 

 obtained in the German Colonies. 



The CHAIRMAN : I cannot give any detailed figures ; I can 

 only say that the yield varies considerably in different parts. 

 Togo, which is nearest to Northern Nigeria, and where the 

 conditions may be somewhat similar, has only native cultivation 

 of cotton, and the natives do not grow cotton by itself, but 

 always between other products, chiefly yams. In the Cameroons 

 we have no real cotton cultivation at present as the natives 

 only grow very small patches for their own use; the Govern- 

 ment farms were only founded last year, and I cannot give 

 any details regarding them. In East Africa we must make 

 a distinction between the cultivation of cotton by planters and 

 its cultivation by natives. Some of the planters grow cotton 

 between other plants, for example, Sisal hemp, but it has not 

 proved advantageous, and they are abandoning this sort of 

 cultivation. There are other planters, however, who grow 

 cotton alone, and some even with irrigation; but the yield 

 obtained by these planters varies very much from one year to 

 another. In a good year, they get as much as generally in 

 America one bale of 500 Ib. per hectare, that is 200 Ib. of 

 lint per acre; generally it is less. We do not know yet if it 

 will really pay them. Some got good results last year, but 

 only because this Egyptian cotton pays very well. The 

 question depends always on the possibility of getting good 

 crops from the Egyptian cotton. Among the natives in East 

 Africa the return also varies very much. There are some 

 districts, open districts near the Victoria Nyanza, which are 

 very good; other parts, however, are only just beginning, and 

 at present it is not possible to make any general statement as 

 to the yield. 



PROBLEMS CONNECTED WITH THE NEW EGYPTIAN COTTON 

 PEST, GELECHIA GOSSYPIELLA, SATJNDERS, THE PINK 

 BOLL-WORM. 



By L. H. GOUGH, Ph.D., F.E.S., 

 Chief, Entomological Section, Ministry of Agriculture, Egypt, 



[ABSTRACT.] 



Geicchia gossypiella. Saunders, a microlepidopterous insect, 

 the larva of which infests cotton seed and immature cotton 

 bolls, was introduced into Egypt with badly ginned cotton from 

 India, between the years 1904 and 1909, and has become 

 established as a pest on cotton. Popular opinions vary as to 

 the extent of damage done by or expected from this insect. 



