Fruiting increases photosynthesis in some plants. Fruiting cotton plants have been reported to keep their stomata open during drought. A field experiment was conducted in Phoenix to test the hypotheses that young cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) bolls serve as sinks for ABA, or that they are a source of IAA for subtending leaves. In one test, a flower at anthesis was removed from the first node of each of 25 plants in each of four plots on four different dates and the subtending leaf was tagged. The subtending leaf was also tagged on control plants but the flower was not removed. The leaves were harvested 7 d later and analyzed for free ABA and IAA. In another test, all flowers and bolls were removed from plants in four plots on June 30 and July 5 and 13. No flowers or bolls were removed from the control plants. Uppermost fully expanded mainstem leaves were harvested on July 20, 25, and 27, and on August 9 (7,12, 14, and 27 days after final defruiting) for ABA and IAA analyses. Flower removal did not increase the ABA content of subtending leaves, but complete defruiting apparently caused a slight, and temporary, increase in ABA concentration in mainstem leaves. The ability of leaves to accumulate ABA during water stress apparently decreased during the season as boll load increased. No consistent evidence was found that bolls are a source of IAA for leaves.