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Scientific Agriculture. 



guidance has evolved totally different plants. Root development has given us the 

 turnip, a collection of flowers the cauliflower, whilst the cabbage is merely an 

 accumulation of leaves. It needs no epicure to distinguish them when cooked for 

 the table, or one deeply versed in horticulture to label them whilst growing in the 

 garden. Their characteristics are so definite and distinct. But take the seeds of 

 the above plants, and an expert would come to grief in his attempt at classification. 

 The reason for this being that the efforts of cultivators have been directed to 

 making modifications in the plants themselves, and have overlooked or neglected 

 the seed entirely. 



If we wish to select seed from our cotton crop let us be certain that the 

 plants now growing are from pure seed and not mixed in any way. Egyptian seed 

 at the present time is far from pure. You cannot buy pure Affifi seed and be 

 certain that no other varieties are present. This is easily accounted for. In Egypt 

 large ginning factories have been established where different varieties of cotton are 

 dealt with. Mixing of seed can easily take place, either at the gins, or in the riddles 

 where the seed is separated if required for sowing purposes, the small and broken 

 seeds being rejected. Thus after one variety of cotton has been through the 

 machinery, unless great care is taken to clean up all the seed, mixing follows when 

 the next kind is being dealt with. 



It must also be remembered that much mixing takes place on the farm, 

 where two or even more varieties are often grown. This mixing may take place 

 in picking or by being put in the same store. In resowing for blanks mistakes 

 are also prevalent, a different variety being used to the one originally sown. Also 

 a certain amount of crossing takes place when different varieties are grown near 

 each other. Can we wonder then that seed is often badly mixed, because, if 

 growers take no pains to keep the varieties separate, no amount of care at the 

 ginning factories can produce pure seed. 



For seed purposes the ideal condition is for each grower to gin his own seed. 

 In Egypt this system has not been followed, with the result that mixed seed is 

 found everywhere. Even to-day a big percentage of seeds belonging to an old 

 native variety, called Hindi, is found in every consignment of Egyptian seed. Both 

 plant, seed, and fibre are readily recognised. Needless to say, it was found in all 

 the British Central Africa plantations, and its true value and significance have 

 been pointed out to all cotton growers. The plant is hardy, grows like a bush, 

 with plenty of promise as regards fruit. Its leaves are smoother and more circular 

 than the other varieties. The bolls are divided in four sections. Egyptian and 

 Sea Island cottons have three only. Its fibre is white, very short, and the lint is 

 practically filled with seeds. This can easily be demonstrated by taking a ripe 

 boll and pressing it between the fingers. The seeds are black, rather triangular 

 and are provided with a sharp point. The lint leaves the seed entirely, whilst a 

 tuft always remains on true Egyptian seed. The plants should always be uprooted 

 when recognised. If it matures, the cotton should be ginned and sold separately, 

 and none should ever be kept for seed purposes. This is very essential, or otherwise 

 with its prolific and hardy qualities in a few years plantations would be filled 

 with this rubbish, and growers would be happy under the mistaken assurance 

 that they were growing Egyptian cotton. 



In America some years ago whole fields of young cotton were destroyed by the 

 wilt disease. Some observant planters noticed that occasionally a plant remained. 

 These they reared and preserved with until now disease resisting varieties are 

 on the market, and what promised to be dire calamity to the planting interest 

 has been averted. Perhaps, if the coffee plant had been taken in hand in the 

 same way, different results would now be seen in the Highlands Everything 



