COTTON 



of killing the worms without entirely damaging the cotton 

 which villagers might still be able to obtain from the 

 bolls in question. 



With reference to the above, a letter, dated August 9, 

 1 9 1 3> was received from the Council of Ministers to the 

 effect that the Council having considered the above propo- 

 sition found it was opportune to take into serious con- 

 sideration the wish expressed by the Cotton Worm and 

 Boll Worm Commission. 



Unfortunately, at that time it was not possible to get 

 any legislation passed owing to the delay in the forma- 

 tion of the new Legislation Assembly, to whom it was 

 necessary that all laws should be submitted for discussion. 

 Some action, however, was deemed necessary, as the 

 depredations by both species of boll worms were severe, 

 and if no steps to ameliorate the condition were -under- 

 taken the result might mean a still further loss in the 

 following season. 



The proposals for a law were submitted by the Ministry 

 of Agriculture to the legal advisers of the Government, 

 but owing to the change in the constitution of the 

 country the law was not passe.d in time for any com- 

 pulsory action being adopted in the winter of 1913. 

 Urgent steps were, however, taken to get the measures 

 recommended in the law, to be carried out administra- 

 tively pending the passing of the law itself. To this end 

 the Ministry of the Interior issued instructions in the 

 winter of 1913 to the Governors of Provinces that the 

 cultivators should be induced by administrative measures 

 to pick off and destroy by fire all bolls left on cotton 

 plants after the final picking of the crop. Great difficulty 

 was experienced in this work, as without the aid of the 

 law the provincial authorities were severely handicapped. 

 In a few districts a large number of bolls were picked 

 and destroyed, but in others practically none. The law 

 of which the draft follows was passed and put into force 

 in 1914. The political situation interfered somewhat with 

 the strict observance of the articles at as early a date as 

 was desirable, but eventually stringent action was taken 

 which should be followed by good results. 



The law is as follows : 



