. Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Union of South Africa. lls, and it ripens much later. Further, the freshflower is more velloAvisb in. colour, with red spots at tbe base, longer 616 Journal op the Department of Agriculture. and finer fibres, and black smooth seeds. Some Upland varieties, Peterkin, however, also possess smootli black seed. The fibre ofUpland measures from f to li inch in length, and that of Sea Islandfrom Ih to 2 inches. Under cultivation cotton is generally considered to be an annual,and is usually replanted every season, with the exception of the treevariety. I
. Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Union of South Africa. lls, and it ripens much later. Further, the freshflower is more velloAvisb in. colour, with red spots at tbe base, longer 616 Journal op the Department of Agriculture. and finer fibres, and black smooth seeds. Some Upland varieties, Peterkin, however, also possess smootli black seed. The fibre ofUpland measures from f to li inch in length, and that of Sea Islandfrom Ih to 2 inches. Under cultivation cotton is generally considered to be an annual,and is usually replanted every season, with the exception of the treevariety. It is not yet possible to say whether ratooning- will bepractised permanently in future. (By ratooning is meant the methodof cutting- off the first crop close to the ground, when a new pLiut or volunteer takes its place the following year, re-seeding thus beingeliminated.) Authorities state that, after the second year, tlie lint ofsuch plants deteriorates greatly by losing- its gloss and strength—twoof the most important and desirable qualities of cotton Piute I. •.fIn4o Ill W . II. S. Sea Island cotton plant with ilie leaves removed to show the bolls.—Big Unieazi, Poit St. Johns. Climate.—Cotton is eminenily suited to warm regions. Oiie ofthe essential climatic conditions is a summei- rainfall of not less than18 to 20 inclies, fairly well distributed over the whole period ofgrowth. During the first five or six weeks tlie i)lant is very delicateand weak; consequently the soil should not be allowed to dry out toomuch during that time. Thereafter the plant can withstand muchdrought, the taproot being long and shooting well down. The plantbeing very sensitive to frost, it is necessary that -lo frost occurs forsix or seven months where cotton is grown. In localities which aresubject to frost, planting should not be done before October, but alsonot much later than November. Cotton Culture. 617 During harvesting time it is desirable that the weather should bedry and su
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