DISEASES OF COTTON 287 



is to produce a plant which is at once recognisable by its wiry 

 upright stem without spreading branches. 



The plants grown from the only three seeds which have been 

 found, which must have developed from pollination with normal 

 Sea Island, were themselves normal in appearance. The abnormal 

 type has occurred in small proportions in apparently pure strains 

 of Sea Island which have been selfed for four successive years. 



Mottled Hybrids. 



In crossing Sea Island with native perennial cottons a pro- 

 portion of the progeny not seldom shows a form of growth some- 

 what similar to that seen in the loggerhead affection already 

 described. It is reported that 100 per cent, of such plants 

 regularly occur in crosses with the St. Croix native. The writer 

 has met with 50 per cent, on one occasion in Barbados, and 20 

 per cent, is recorded in Nevis. Some years ago such plants were 

 fairly common in Barbados fields as the result of accidental 

 crossing. 



The internodes of the plants in question are very much 

 shortened so that a low and bushy habit is developed. The 

 leaves are always strongly mottled with yellowish green. The 

 stems exhibit a precocious formation of cork which gives even the 

 youngest internodes and the petioles a rough scaly appearance. 

 Bearing is not affected, and the plants may give a very high 

 yield. The abnormal characters usually but not invariably 

 persist throughout the life of the plant. 



