COTTON 295 



Referring to this subject, he says : " During the wet 

 season there was a continual heavy shedding of buds and 

 bolls, and the shedding of these increased after a day or 

 days of greater humidity. Shedding decreased when the 

 dry weather set in, and again increased shortly after- 

 wards, but later decreased again after the plants had 

 had a chance to accommodate themselves to the changed 

 conditions. 



" During the months of August and September, and 

 early in October, when the buds were forming and flower- 

 ing was taking place, the atmosphere was very damp and 

 the sky almost continually cloudy." 



Continuing, he says: " It might be suggested that it 

 would be advisable to plant cotton at a time such that 

 the formation of buds and flowers would take place after 

 such unfavourable months were past. 



" But then it must be remembered that directly after 

 this wet period conditions change entirely round, and a 

 drought sets in just as severe as it has previously been 

 damp. And, as the soil is very porous, with little power 

 of retaining moisture, there would be very little chance 

 of the plants developing any size whatever to carry a 

 crop. It is true that August this year was a very wet 

 month, whereas it is usually a very dry one. This doubt- 

 less would affect the plants more than in a normal year, 

 so that one cannot draw positive conclusions from one 

 year's work." 



In addition to the injury 4ue to climatic causes, an 

 immense amount of harm was done on the Ilorin farm 

 by boll worm. It was proved that 200 per cent, of the 

 bolls were wholly or partially destroyed by this insect. 

 The worm most largely responsible for the damage was 

 identified by the Imperial Bureau of Entomology as 

 Earias cupreozriridis, and it was stated that this insect 

 had not previously been reported as attacking the cotton 

 boll. Efforts are being made by the Department to make 

 the annual uprooting and burning of cotton plants com- 

 pulsory in order to keep this and other insect pests in 

 check. In a territory of such enormous size, however, 

 where cotton has been cultivated by careless methods 

 for generations, it is extremely difficult to enforce such 



