The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-09-17

1905 ..1s,s1s,00O 1896, 900 3,0S0.sO0
1906 ..20,401, 600 4.237,000 3,389,600
1907 ..2~2,344,00 4,00S,00 3.92S,40O
The three largest crops of India in
extent of area are rice, wheat n
cotton; In total production cotton
ranks fourth, as jute with one-sixth
the acreage Of cotton. yet produces
twice as many pounds. Cotton is
raised all over India, but the length.
c~oarseness and general character of
the fiber varies with each locality. In
general it ma be said that western
India produces the best cottons and
eastern India the poorest: In fact,
Bengal produces a cotton, that is
probably the dirtiest and shortest sta
pie Of any in the world.
AS is we'll known, there are three
chemical elements that are essential
to cotton raising. viz, phosphoric
acid, nitrogen, and potash, and OF the
three phosphoric acid is relatively the
most important and controls the ac-
ton Of the other two. 1t would seem
that by applying these in correct pro-
p%ortion to the soil, gay so pounds
phosphoric acid, 20 pounds nitrogen
and is pounds potash, similar cot
ton could be raised in any locality.
This has been tried, however, and
while it has been proved hat such
scientific feeding of the soil makes a
great change, 1t has also been proved
that there are many other factors, es-
p~ecially those of climate and length
of season, that have TO be taken into
consideration and that determine in
equal or larger measure the fineness
and quality Of the cotton.
Prospects for Growing Better Fiber
THERE'S no probability that India will
ever be able to produce on anything
but a small scale cotton equal in
cleanness, sickness or length Of staple
to hat grown in the United States.
In general, it may be said that the
length Of fiber depends on the length
OF III cotton season, and the longest
c%ottons, such as sea Island, have the
longest periods Of growth. In India
cotton comes to maturity too early
and the climate will not allow any
longer staple except by special meas
ures, such as the n importation
Of the seed Of longer stapled cotton.
In Ceylon sea island cotton measur-
ing an even 2 IA inches deteriorated
in three seasons to Uneven length cot
ton, running from one to one and a
half h and as In lengths of fiber
above n and a half inches the alt
OF cotton, increases in more than
arithmetical proportion-it might be
said in geometrical proportion-its
value declines correspoingly more than
the decrease in the length Of staple.
Nearly all the varieties of cotton
grown in other countries in the world
have been tried in India, but with lit
tie or no success. Not only does the
staple deteriorate in length. but it also
becomes harsher. Though India has
time after time imported the best cot
tons, her cotton is still about the low
est priced on the market The only
annual with which any success has
been had is the Egyptian, which has
had some success in a limited section
ar Mind = Mr. on~n- 1,~-
ed, where the climate is very similar
to that Of Egypt.
IN America cotton was az first
raised without any extrenous addition
to the soil. 1t was soon discovered
that fertilizing chemicals. either nat
ural or artificial. were necessary, and
today even the rich lands Of Texas are
heavily fertilized. The most unobesrv-
want Indian ryot has not yet discov-
cred this necessity. In India h
people are so poor that, although they
keep oxen, they do not apply the ma
nure to their fields. being forced to
dry n use it as fuel This practice
is prevalent throughout India.
insect AnnOyances Improved Staple.
Indian cotton suffers from many
pests in regard to which the ryots are
very ignorant. If the boil worm ruins
their crop they rarely study how to
overcome the. pest. but usually per
A"Aih " iCilSiooS LIZ, anu II lnC SEE
ond crop is also a failure they
alphabetically starve to death. The
boil worm. both pink and spotted, is
common in India n annually de-
stroys large quantities of cotton. The
boil weevil which is so destructive in
America. has not yet been found in
India, but there are many other cot
ton plant pests and disease, especially
boil rot, which are about as numer-
Gus as those to which cotton in Amer
lea is subject.
The longer-stapled varieties OF In
dian cotton, such as Dnollerahs, Wes-
terms and Cocanadas are probably
hybrids. Acclimatized annual ~exotics,
such as Dharwar and Breach, are
much improved by seed selection and
some experiments are being made in
this direction. Such Improvement on
a larger scale is difficult for the rea-
son that as soon as the cotton of any
one section or any one ginning center
attains a good reputation the Indians
VIII haul their cotton through the
country for long distances in order to
get it ginned and sem out from the
same place. and the reputation so en-
Joyed depreciates. furthermore at
many places. the ginner, or some
other middleman, makes q specially
Of mixing different grades and so OBJ
tanning a better price thar IL the cot
ton were sold straight. Very often the