CHAPTER V 

 THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMERCIAL LINT 



IN the previous chapter we have seen how some of the 

 more obvious properties of the seed-cotton and lint are at- 

 tained, and we have found that the story is an extremely 

 simple one. If we avoid technical details, the whole 

 matter resolves itself into this: that each characteristic 

 depends on the reaction which takes place between the 

 constitution of the plant and the circumstances of the 

 environment, at the time when the characteristic is being 

 built up by growth. 



The minor circumstances which have tended to obscure 

 this main issue are somewhat as follows : 



(a) The climatic circumstances under which cottcn 

 grows are not favourable to the sustained and detailed 

 research required. 



(6) The age of the boll cannot be dated entirely by its 

 external appearance. 



(c) The results of self-poisoning or senescence have 

 not been separated from the simpler direct effects of tl^e 

 environment. 



(d) Until the conception of Limiting Factors was intro- 

 duced by Mr. Blackman, the analysis of environmental 

 effects was impossible. 



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