80 CROPS 



The plant may be grown both for its oil and also for the 

 dye which can be extracted from the flowers, though there is 

 little or no extraction done now in Madras. The foliage of 

 the plants ordinarily met with is thickly armed with spines. 

 There is also a smooth-leaved variety. The cultivation is 

 confined to the black soils of the Ceded Districts, where it is 

 frequently seen sown on the head-lands, partly to prevent 

 cattle trespass, and partly because it can be sown late. The 

 oil is very clear and is used in cooking ; also to adulterate 

 ghee. 



Seed-rate— 5 to 10 lb. 



Volume weight— 1 M.M. weighs 2-43 lb. 



Weight of seed — 1,000 seeds weigh 41*27 grammes. 



Number of seeds in 1 lb.— 1 1,000. 



Yield— 400 lb. per acre. 



Percentage of oil — 30 ; ordinary methods extract 20 per 

 cent. The cake is used as a cattle food and is said not to get 

 mouldy readily. 



FIBRES. 



COTTON. 



{Gossypium herbaceum ; Gossypium indicum ; Gossypium 

 obtusifolium ; Gossypium hirsutum.) 



Tamil 

 Telugu .; 

 Malayalam 

 Kanarese .. 

 Oriya 

 Tulu 



Paruthi. 



Parthi. 



Parutti. 



Hatti. 



Koppa. 



Parti. 



Area in Madras— 2,018,900 acres. 



The two common varieties grown as annuals on the black 

 cotton soils are G. herbacuem (Tellapathi ; Uppam ; 

 Ukkam) and G. indicum (Yerrapathi ; Karunganni). Besides 

 these, G. obtusifolium (Nadam) is found in parts of Coimba- 

 tore, while in the same tract are found the remains of the 

 early introduction of American cotton in the shape of 

 G. hirsutum (Bourbon) ; both these are perennial. 



All the above are dry crops and occupy generally the black 

 cotton soils, though Yerrapathi is found on reddish soils, and 

 the two last are found on lightish gravelly soils. 



Seed-rate — 5 to 15 lb. per acre ; rate varies in different 

 Localities and also with the soils. 



