January, 1910,] 



13 



Fibres, 



selection, each year, of the plants that 

 approach most nearly to the normal 

 form of the variety, are the most fertile, 

 and have the best lint. 



The third kind of diversity is more 

 directly connected with differences in 

 the physical environment which cause, 

 or call forth, differences in the individual 

 plants, It is shown most strikingly in 

 comparing the behaviour of the plants in 

 the different localities, but includes also 

 some of the differences that occur in the 

 same locality or iu different parts of the 

 same field. This form of diversity is 

 familiar in all branches of agriculture 

 but is greater with a newly-introduced 

 variety, and may be expected to decrease 

 as a better adjustment to the new con- 

 ditions is attained. The second kind of 

 diversity represents incomplete accli- 

 matization, while the third kind is more 

 closely connected with the phenomenon 

 of accommodation. 



The fourth kind of diversity is shown 

 in the different parts of the same plant, 

 aud is often very pronounced, especially 

 in the characters of the lint. If the 

 plants become too luxuriant, fruiting is 

 deferred until late iu the season, or the 

 early bolls remain poorly developed and 

 produce a very weak fibre. To avoid 

 this form of diversity, a proper relation 

 has to be established between the habits 

 of growth of the plants and the 

 methods of culture and irrigation. 

 Sudden changes in the rate of growth 

 are particularly to be avoided, as tending 

 to produce fluctuations in the fertility of 

 the plants and in the commercial quality 

 of the lint. 



The principal reason why diversity 

 has such serious effects upon the yield 

 of lint is found in the habit of the cotton 

 plant to produce two types of branches, 

 which are quite distinct in form and 

 function. Slight differences of external 

 conditions which might have very little 

 direct effect upon the size and vigour of 

 the plant are able to induce relatively 

 great differences in the yield by inducing 

 a preponderance of the sterile, vegetative 

 form of branches over the fertile form. 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE EFFECTS 

 OF STORAGE ON COTTON SEED. 



By H. A Tempany, b.sc. (London), 



F.I.C., F.C.S. 



Acting Government Analytical Chemist, 

 and Superintendent of Agriculture 

 for the Leeward Islands. 



(From the West Indian Bulletin, Vol. X, 

 No. 2, 1909.) 

 Cotton seed at the present time is a 

 product of considerable value in the 



West Indies, both from the point of 

 view of growth of the cotton crops 

 and also on account of its usefulness 

 as a stock feed, and as an oil crop. 

 On this account the changes which it 

 is likely to undergo as a result of 

 keeping are matters of importance. 



It frequently happens that cotton seed 

 may, for various reasons, be stored for 

 considerable periods of time before it 

 can be used, and observations are here 

 brought forward which throw some 

 light on a few of the effects likely to 

 be induced by storing. 



Such effects fall naturally under two 

 heads : (a) Effects on the actual chemi- 

 cal composition of the seed ; (b) Effects 

 on the vitality or germinating power 

 of the seed ; and the results given be- 

 low are grouped accordingly. 



(A.) Effects of Storage on Chemical 

 Composition of the Seed. 



When crushed cotton seed is mixed 

 with water, the resulting mash is usu- 

 3lly of a bright yellow colour. In Febru- 

 ary, 1908, a sample of crushed cotton 

 seed was received at the Government 

 Laboratory from the Leeward Islands, 

 which, when mixed with water in this 

 way, was found to give a bright green 

 colour, instead of the usual yellow tint. 



At first sight it was thought that this 

 peculiarity was due to the admixture 

 with the sample of some inorganic 

 mineral substance, such as Paris green, 

 either by accident or intentionally ; 

 chemical examination, however, soon 

 showed that this idea was erroneous, 

 and that the green colouration was more 

 probably due to some organic substance 

 derived from the seed itself. When the 

 crushed seed was examined under the 

 microscope, it was found that it con- 

 tained numerous opaque masses, which 

 broke down in glycerine and water to 

 small round green bodies. 



Enquiry elicited the fact that the seed 

 in question was of considerable age, 

 having been grown in 1906 and kept 

 until 190S, before crushing. It therefore 

 appeared likely that the development of 

 thegreen colour might be due to changes 

 which had taken place in the seed as a 

 result of long keeping, and this sup- 

 position was subsequently verified, in- 

 vestigation making it clear that the 

 observed appearances were due to 

 changes in the resin masses. 



If a cotton seed is cut across, the 

 cotyledous are seen to be marked with 

 a large number of dots ; tuese are the 

 resin masses mentioned above. Accord- 

 ing to Hanausek, ' the secretiou contain- 

 ed in them is olive-green, flowing out 



