331 
forward in lots of not more than one bale ata time. A remedy 
would be to establish in all the islands a system whereby 
peasant cotton was purchased at official rates based on the 
current market price of the staple, and officially sanctioned 
by the Government. 
The’Cuatrman: I am sorry to say, gentlemen, that other 
Colonial duties make it necessary for me to leave this interest- 
ing Congress now. I should like before I go to thank those 
gentlemen who have read papers; and I shall ask Professor 
Dunstan to take my place in the chair. 
Professor Dunstan then took the chair. 
FLOWER-BUD AND BOLL SHEDDING OF COTTON IN THE 
ILORIN PROVINCE, NIGERIA. 
By Tuomas TuHornton, A.R.C.S., 
Assistant Superintendent of Agriculture, Northern Provinces, 
Nigeria. 
| ABSTRACT. ] 
Oxe of the most serious troubles there is to contend with 
in this part of Nigeria, in the growing of cotton, is the shed- 
ding of flower-buds and young bolls. It will be well under- 
stood that this trouble, if it occurs to any extent, will be of 
great importance in reducing the crop returns. 
On arriving in the Province at the beginning of April, 1913, 
the old cotton which was standing indicated that shedding 
had been very serious during the previous season; practically 
no bolls from which cotton had been picked were to be seen 
on the lower parts of the plants; almost all the crop had been 
reaped from bolls which had been developed at the top of 
the plants. 
I arranged, in conjunction with other work, to try to deter- 
mine the cause of this shedding, and with this object in view 
made a daily record of the flowers opening, the buds and bolls 
shed, and. of the various climatic factors. 
Observations were made on different kinds of cotton, 
African as well as exotics. 
The rainfall during August in this particular year was very 
heavy in comparison with other years. Between to and 11 in. 
of rain was recorded; September was lower than the average 
with 8} in. The rain ceased on October 19 after nearly 5 in. 
had been recorded. No more rain fell until February 26, 
1914. 
The absence of sunshine during August, September, and 
early October was particularly noticeable. 
