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}
-}
COPY
C.0.
4444-
20
Heport upon the Cotton exceriment Red Soxo Gongkong,
and at Kang Hau, New Territory.
1.
At the beginning of April, 1905, about one-
third of an acre was sown at the Sokunpo Government Nursery
with cotton of the following varieties.
A.
"Broach" from Government Experiment Farm at Surat, Eombay through the Recorter on koono- -mic Products to the Government of India.
£.
"Tungchow" from Shanghai through Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co. of Hongkong.
2.
Germination was fair and the plants mede
good growth but unfortunately while in flower the crop was much
damaged by a gale and by the rain which accompanied it.
8.
When fully grown both plots appeared to com-
-prise several distinct varieties.
4.
The cotton began to be gathered in September
and about 80 per centum was brought in before the end of woven-
-ber. There is still more than 10 per centur to come but as the
experiments are already conculsive as to the reagre result of
this year, I am collating the statistics at once. The unusually
damp season has probably retarded the drying off of the capsules.
The experiment had to pe left under the care
8.
of Chinese labourers, and scientific accuracy cannot be claimed for it. Both the varieties of cotton resulting from the picking
were certainly heterogeneous but whether this was due to mixed
seed or to stupidity in picking cannot be ascertained.
8.
the result of the whole crop was as follows:-
Seed as stated above.
Soil rich loan.
Area .29 acre.
Weight of seed cotton 48 lbs.
Approximate weight per acre allow- -ing for & lbs more cotton ( not yet. ripened) 170 lbs.