238 Studies in Indian Cotton 



In the present instance there appears to exist an example of partial 

 dominance combined with incomplete resolution of the component factors 

 in the subsequent generations. It must, however, be admitted that the 

 experimental error is undetermined and, from a consideration of Tables 

 XVIII — XXI\ this would appear to be considerable in comparison with 

 the magnitudes under measurement, and sufficiently large to render 

 the character ill adapted to such analysis as has been attempted. The 

 impossibility of determining this error was in itself sufficient to render 

 the advisability of attacking this question as a purely theoretical 

 problem exceedingly doubtful. The behaviour of this character is, 

 however, a matter of vital practical importance. As has been stated, it 

 is essential that a plant should be of the sympodial type if its cultiva- 

 tion in the United Provinces is to be a commercial success. At the 

 same time the majority of Indian cottons with a really valuable staple 

 belong to the group of monopodial types. The chief hope of improve- 

 ment of the cotton crop in the United Provinces, therefore, has been 

 based on the isolation of pure sympodial forms with the staple of the 

 monopodial type. 



3 (e). The leaf glands. 



There frequently occur on the under surface of the leaf one to 

 three (and rarely four) glands. When there is a single gland it is 

 situated on the midrib a short distance from the point where this 

 leaves the petiole. In addition to this gland, two more glands may 

 occur similarly situated but on the two main lateral veins — giving 

 three glands in all. The stage in which only one of these laterally 

 situated glands developes is commonly met with. In one or two cases 

 only have four glands been observed and in all such cases the addi- 

 tional gland is situated on the midrib. It is not a condition which 

 enters into the course of these experiments. 



The number of glands is definite and as a leaf character lends itself 

 to ready determination. But the leaf is a multiple organ of the plant 

 and it becomes possible for a plant to possess leaves differing in the 

 number of their glands. Difficulty arises in this case similar to that 

 met with in the leaf factor, and such as of necessity arises when the 



^ Of these tables No. XVIII only is given in extenso. The subsequent Tables 

 XIX — XXI are abbreviated and give the combined details for those plants the average 

 dates of flowering of whose offspring fall into successive five-day periods. These three 

 tables, in their expanded form, agree in all particulars with Table XVIII. 



