COTTON 357 



This cotton for two years was cultivated on a seed plot 

 in the Shire Highlands, but proved too delicate and 

 susceptible to cold. 



During the last three years this cotton has been 

 selected and grown at the lower river farm, and promises 

 to retain its lustre and quality in a greater degree than 

 ordinary Nyasaland Upland, and the yield per acre in 

 1913 was 149 Ib. of lint, as against 113 Ib. with Nyasaland 

 Upland, both being valued at 8d. per Ib.; the gross value 

 per acre was 4 195. 4d. for "Griffin" and 3 155. 4d. 

 for Nyasaland Upland; "Griffin" cotton is certainly 

 worthy of attention as a long staple variety for hot, dry 

 districts with elevations not over 500 ft. 



(b) Leaf and Stem. 



Uniformity of vegetative characters has a distinct bear- 

 ing on the economical spacing of any crop, and a very 

 direct bearing on cropping results of sun-loving crops, 

 such as cotton. 



There is a close connection between maturity and 

 vegetative habit, the small and less leafy plants generally 

 maturing several weeks before the large and leafy types, 

 and although growth is strongly affected by food supply, 

 and particularly by the amount of soluble nitrogen, there 

 is every possibility of reducing excessive vegetation by 

 selection. 



The branching character of the type has a great 

 influence on the ripening of the crop, and under short 

 season conditions it is necessary to take advantage of 

 every character that leads to early maturity, as heaviest 

 yields are obtained from plants which carry many fruiting 

 laterals, arranged around the main stem in such a manner 

 as to allow the maximum amount of sunshine to reach 

 the entire plant without shading its neighbours or 

 obstructing tillage operations for the best growth of 

 the crop. 



Plants with extra long horizontal or prostrate lower 

 limbs should be avoided, as they interfere with cultivation, 

 and the cotton in the opening bolls of such limbs is always 

 depreciated through soil stain, and plants with dense top 

 growth should never be selected for Highland cultivation, 



