Oils and Fats. 



490 



[December, 1909. 



for its decomposition in some cases, 

 because the water retained by the oil 

 affords a suitable medium for bacterial 

 development. Although, therefore, a 

 certain amount of water may be found 



necessary for carrying out the expres- 

 sion process, its use beyond the neces- 

 sary minimum should be avoided as an 

 adulteration and as likely to result in 

 the decomposition of the oil. 



FIBRES. 



COTTON IMPROVEMENT IN 

 MADRAS. 



(From the Indian Agriculturist, Vol. 

 XXXIV., No. 4, April 1, 1909.) 

 The Government of Madras have 

 approved of the proposals of Mr. M. E. 

 Couchman, Director of Agriculture, for 

 the utilisation of the Budget grant of 

 Rs. 5,000 for the improvement of cotton. 

 These refer to work under the following 

 three heads to be carried on mainly in 

 the Tinnevelly District, and to a small 

 extent in Trichinopoly :— (a) Collection 

 and distribution of pure " Karungauni " 

 seed last season ; (6) growing pure seed 

 of the " Karuneanni " variety for distri- 

 bution to the ryots next season ; and (c) 

 the introduction of the use of the seed- 

 drill and bullock-hoe of the Telugu 

 Districts. Mr. Couchman's investiga- 

 tions have led him to the conclusion that 

 " Karunganni" cotton is much superior 

 to " Uppam," and he is doing all he can 

 to promote the growth of the former 

 variety by buying up pure seed and 

 distributing it among the ryots. He 

 obtained enough of the seed last year to 

 sow about 7,000 acres, and as he could 

 have sold much more had it been avail- 

 able, he has decided to open seed farms 

 on about 250 acres of ryots ' land. The 

 total area on which seed is being grown 

 for the Department this year by private 

 persons is 263 acres ; and as Mr. Couch- 

 man says, it reflects much credit on Mr. 

 Sampson, Deputy Director of Agri- 

 culture, Southern Division, that he has 

 been able to overcome the suspicions of 

 the ryots and induce them to co-operate 

 with the Department on such a large 

 scale. 



We have already called attention to 

 the success which has attended the 

 introduction of the Tinnevelly ryots to 

 the seed drill and connected implements 

 of the Telugu country, the advantages 

 of which, Mr. Couchman says, are be- 

 coming widely appreciated. Mr. Samp- 

 son is also a great believer in this 

 method of sowing, for he writes : — 

 "The introduction of this system of 

 cultivation is, I consider, the most impor- 

 tant work that is being done. In seasons 

 of drought such as this the ryot has to 



depend almost entirely on his cotton 

 crop for his livelihood, and if it can be 

 shown that this system of cultivation 

 can help the cotton crop to withstand 

 the drought and to give even a fair crop 

 in such seasons, it may mean all the 

 difference between scarcity and famine." 

 One thousand acres have been sown 

 with the drill this year, of which about 

 400 acres are situated in the village in 

 which the Koilpatti farm is situated. 

 The points which strike the ryots are 

 that, with the drill, a much larger area 

 can be' sown on a given time than with 

 the plough, and that sowing can be 

 continued for a longer period after the 

 rain stops. Many fields sown in the 

 time-honoured fashion are said to have 

 entirely failed this year, while others 

 sown with the drill have given a fair 

 stand, and some again are said to be 

 better than those of the Agricultural 

 Station. Hitherto, trained coolies have 

 been employed to show the ryots how to 

 use the drill, but now not only have the 

 latter themselves learned how to drive it, 

 but they have also taught their women- 

 kind. As regards cotton improvement 

 in the rest of the Presidency, a quantity 

 of good cotton seed has been distributed 

 in the Bellary and Kurnool Districts, 

 but the expenditure for this has been 

 met from the Budgets of the Agri- 

 cultural Stations in those Districts. 

 The Board of Revenue also enquires 

 whether any portion of the grant that 

 will be provided next year cannot be 

 devoted to the improvement of the 

 cottons of the Ceded Districts, The 

 expenditure on the operations described 

 above amounted to rather over Rs. 

 11,000, towards which Rs. 3,000 were 

 contributed by the British Cotton- 

 Growing Association.— Madras Mail, 



JUTE IN 1908. 



(Prom the Indian Agriculturist, Vol. 

 XXXIV., No. 1, January, 1909.) 



A Dundee Review op the Year. 



In a comprehensive review of the jute 

 trade in 1908, the Dundee Advertiser 

 remarks that to describe the year as 

 critical in the industry would be strictly 



