282 



[OCTOBBBR, 1912. 



membership an honour, and to the lines of work being drawn up and 

 carefully arranged beforehand by the Agricultural Department. 



The committee of the Board of Agriculture whose report is being 

 summarised did not wish to suggest that the method of organisation just 

 described is the only one which will succeed or which is even the best one 

 under all conditions. It is possible, perhaps even probable, that this type 

 of organisation is most suitable where the type of agriculture is backward 

 or at any rate where there are large numbers of fairly obvious improve- 

 ments capable of giving large and immediate results. In other cases it 

 may be more advisable to have other units than a district, sometimes 

 even as small as a village. It may (and the method has been successful in 

 parts of Bombay) be wise to have much more independent bodies than 

 those of the Central Provinces. It may be advisable to have regular 

 hierarchy or associations from those representing a very small area to one 

 representing a whole proviuce, and so on for many other variations 

 which can only be determined locally. 



But however organised, the principles which have been laid down are 

 essential. The time is now past when the agricultural associations can be 

 created in every district in a province heedless as to whether there is 

 work for them or whether they can be instructed and encouraged, If there 

 is work laid down for each association and its members to do; if they are 

 composed really of the men to whom agriculture is a vital interest; if they 

 can be regularly inspected and meetings held ; and if the association and 

 its members can be made to feel that the Agricultural Department or some 

 central body is continually interesting itself in the work going on and 

 ready to give assistance, then it is almost certain that, provided the local 

 circumstances are properly taken into account, a local body will be 

 created of extreme value for the development of the industry. — Indian 

 Agricultural Journal. 



LONG STAPLE COTTON FOR DRY AREAS. 



According to an official bulletin by Mr, O. F, Cook, recent trials made 

 in the United States have gone to indicate that there are certain new 

 types of Upland cotton well adapted to conditions of dry f arming and 

 irrigation, and should prove suitable for the tropics. 



The variety called Durango is said to be superior to the old long 

 staples. It is describied as early and prolific, and producing larger bolls 

 than Allen and Sunflower. The lint, if not as long, is more abundant and 

 uniform in length— about 1£ in. under favourable conditions. Other advan- 

 tages stated are that the bulk of the crop could be gathered at one pick- 

 ing, and that the plant is decidedly drought-resisting. 



With the soil of the right texture and a supply of moisturB through 

 irrigation it has been found possible to grow long-staple cottons such as 

 this variety in a dry atmosphere. 



Too free irrigation is to be deprecated, and given good tilth and a wet 

 season for the germinatirjg of the seed, it is found better to resort to 

 irrigation only to protect the maturing crop against injury by too severe 

 drought. 



