33 i 



forward in lots of not more than one bale at a time. A remedy 

 would be to establish in all the islands a system whereby 

 peasant cotton was purchased at official rates based on the 

 current market price of the staple, and officially sanctioned 

 by the Government. 



The CHAIRMAN : I am sorry to say, gentlemen, that other 

 Colonial duties make it necessary for me to leave this interest- 

 ing Congress now. I should like before I go to thank those 

 gentlemen who have read papers; and I shall ask Professor 

 Dunstan to take my place in the chair. 



Professor Dunstan then took the chair. 



FLOWER-BUD AND BOLL SHEDDING OF COTTON IN THE 

 ILORIN PROVINCE, NIGERIA. 



By THOMAS THORNTON, A.R.C.S., 



'Assistant Superintendent of Agriculture, Northern Provinces, 



Nigeria. 



[ABSTRACT.] 



ONE of the most serious troubles there is to contend with 

 in this part of Nigeria, in the growing of cotton, is the shed- 

 ding of flower-buds and young bolls. It will be well under- 

 stood that this trouble, if it occurs to any extent, will be of 

 great importance in reducing the crop returns. 



On arriving in the Province at the beginning of April, 1913, 

 the old cotton which was standing indicated that shedding 

 had been very serious during the previous season; practically 

 no bolls from which cotton had been picked were to be seen 

 on the lower parts of the plants; almost all the crop had been 

 reaped from bolls which had been developed at the top of 

 the plants. 



I arranged, in conjunction with other work, to try to deter- 

 mine the cause of this shedding, and with this object in view 

 made a daily record of the flowers opening, the buds and bolls 

 shed, and of the various climatic factors. 



Observations were made on different kinds of cotton, 

 African as well as exotics. 



The rainfall during August in this particular year was very 

 heavy in comparison with other years. Between 10 and n in. 

 of rain was recorded; September was lower than the average 

 with 8J in. The rain ceased on October 19 after nearly 5 in. 

 had been recorded. No more rain fell until February 26, 

 1914. 



The absence of sunshine during August, September, and 

 early October was particularly noticeable. 



