2ik 



June and a start is made with the plucking between ioth July and 

 loth October. 



Singular characteristics, concerning the growth in South Caro- 

 lina are shewn by the following: — 



Of ioo seeds, planted 10 per hole one foot apart, on 29th March, 

 24 sprang up, of which again 2 died, 39 could not be found again, 

 perhaps these were eaten by insects, 23 had rotted, and 14 seemed 

 good but would not vegetate. 



The first plant made its appearance 14 days after planting and 

 the rest followed within 18 days and after thirty days no more 

 came up. 



The climate was cool and moist. In very dry climates the seeds 

 can remain in the ground from the 1st April to the ioth of Jun<* 

 and still come up well. 



Eight davs after the seeds had sprung up, or 23 days after sow- 

 ing the third leaf appeared. The fourth leaf shewed itself on the 

 following dav. 



The first bud was visible 41 days after the seeds had sprung up 

 or 53 days after sowing, and 25 days afterwards it blossomed. 



The capsules visible on the 25th May burst open on the 9th of 

 August. 



If the weather is not suitable in the fruiting season, the cotton 

 plant which is then weak shews the greatest sensibility. Then the 

 buds, blossoms and half-grown fruits fall off. 



The following statement coming from the same source as the 

 above, shews the losses, which unsuitable weather can cause : — 



Month of 

 Springing 

 up. 



No. of plants. 



Buds Visible. 



Buds died. 



Blossoms. 



Fallen Blos- 

 soms and 

 Fruits. 



Ripened fruit. 



1 



U 



■ 



April ... 



7 



1 , 700 



!: 2 3 I 



469 



163 



306 



18 



} May ... 



10 



2.586 



I,8l9 



767 



199 



568 



18 



June ... 



2 



154 



I96 



48 



12 



36 



23 



July ... 



1 



60 



24 



36 



19 



■ , 3 



1 1 



Eighty five fruits give one pound of raw cotton. 



The plucking of the cotton is the most annoying and the most 

 expensive work in the cotton industry. 



The harvest of 1894 amounting to 7,500,000 bales is said to have 

 cost to pluck alone 150,000,000 guilders. 



The average cost of plucking 50 k.g. of raw cotton is from /i to 

 /1.25. A plucker can gather about 333 lbs. a day but they usually 

 gather only about 100 lbs, Bad plucking can cause a lot of harm 



