ENVIRONMENT OF THE BOLL 113 



The strength and length of each sample are again 

 utterly disconnected. If the curve showing the length 

 is moved backwards over 23 days it fits exactly to the 

 curve of strength (Fig. 15). 



In the water-short plot of 1912, the best fit was ob- 

 tained with a 21 -day shift, as against 23 days in this 

 experiment, indicating that the senescent 



Hastening condition of the 1912 p i o t shortened the 

 Maturity. 



maturation period by checking growth. It 



is common knowledge that water shortage " ripens off 

 the crop " ; we can now see the price which is paid for it ; 

 namely, weakening and shortening of the lint, and reduc- 

 tion in actual yield. The crop which is thus being hustled 

 into maturity will look better than one which is being 

 allowed to take three or four days longer over its duties, 

 because the withering and falling of the leaves exposes 

 the open bolls to view, but a count of the actual numbers 

 will show that there are not so many. 



Comparing the lint length in this new series with that 



in the old one, we find that, whereas the plot which had 



been starved of its due water allowance 



only once exceeded 31 millimetres on the 

 Lint. 



five-day means, this properly-cultivated 

 field-crop series only drops below 33 millimetres five 

 times before October 22, and does not touch even the 

 maximum of 1912 till it has finished cropping. The 

 maximum reached in this series was 34-4 millimetres 

 instead of 31-1 (cf. Figs. 14 and 15). 



The next point of interest in regard to lint length is the 



8 



