35 



rate at which Sakel may be replaced in the field if Pelion fulfils the 

 expectations of its admirers. Something more is required, and that 

 something will be found in bulk selection. Only by maintaining a 

 considerable area under Sakel, and by rigorously rogueing the crop 

 each year, will it be safe to allow Pelion to develop uncontrolled. 

 Should Pelion or, for the matter of that, any other of the new forms now 

 coming to the fore, repeat the career of Sakel, the pendulum is bound to 

 swing too far in the reverse direction, and the present complaint in 

 the trade of an excess of Sakel will be followed by a complaint that there 

 is too little. It should be the policy of the Ministry to prepare for that 

 time, and it can do so by some system of maintaining an area of pure 

 Sakel sufficiently large to rectify the balance in a couple of years. 

 It is a very satisfactory feature that the Domains already have this 

 problem in hand, and have available a bulk of Sakel seed which is 

 remarkably pure. 



Sakel, as has been said, is the only one of the present cottons that 

 possesses an intrinsic value that no other cotton rivals. It has, from 

 the agricultural point of view, however, certain undesirable features. 

 As long as it remains alone as the sole yielder of that especial class, 

 it must be preserved. It is most desirable that this position of isolation 

 should cease at as early a date as possible. This will only happen 

 when a plant with a different habit, but possessing the lint quality 

 of Sakel, is evolved. On enquiry whether such a plant exists, I have 

 heard Casuli mentioned as a possible substitute for Sakel, but have 

 not had sufficient experience of this plant to form any definite opinion, 

 and its special fostering, if it does, requires to be placed in the front 

 line of investigation of the Botanical Section. This leads me to my 

 second recommendation. 



2. The establishment of one or more types with the same intrinsic 

 merits as Sakel, but ivith an improved vegetative habit. 



The special importance of these two lines of work arises from the 

 fact that Sakel forms at the present time the end term of a series of 

 cottons arranged on the basis of intrinsic merit. Sakel can be used as a 

 substitute, but no cotton can be substituted for it in certain of its uses. 

 The remaining outlets for botanical investigation must not, however, 

 be neglected. I may gather these into a further series of recommenda- 

 tions. 



3. The maintenance of the present classes by a system aj /, unification 

 and establishment of pure races. 



4. The development of types agriculturally better suited to the 

 environment, including the demarcation of type tracts. 



