tain, viz. the old Gossypiwn herbaceum, with palmately lobed leaves, whether an annual or a tree
of indefinite duration, secondly, the American form with simply lobed or angled leaves, equally
leaving duration out of the question, G. barbadense ; and thirdly, the form'with the seed adherent
in form of a cone, G. acuminatum, comprehending the various forms known under the names of
Pernambuco, Peruvian, Bahia and Ava cotton. I prefer Roxburgh’s name to the older G. pe.ru-
vianvm, as it expresses the prevailing form of the lobes of the leaves rather than the native
country of a plant so widely distributed. Under the first of these leading forms may be ranged:
G. indicum Lam: G.micranlhum Cav. G. arboreum 9 Linn. G. vitifolium ( f ) Lam. G. hir-
sutum Linn. G. eglandulosum Cav. G. religiosum f? J Linn, and G. obtusifolium, Roxb. Under
the second all the American forms with distinct seed: and under the third, all those having
them coherent; whether downy or smooth, or with 3 or 4-valved capsules. Dr. B. Hamilton,
following Van Rohr employs the seed to furnish his specific characters, and according
as they are black or white, reduces all the forms to one or other of two species, distinguished
by that mark. Our country Cotton, and all its varieties, form his G. album : the American
ones with black seed, his G. nigrum, among which G. acuminatum is included. The characters
on which this division is established I consider of no value in themselves, but the division
itself, excluding G. acuminatum from his G. nigrum, I think correct.
In three instances in the above enumeration I have added marks of doubt, indicating thereby,
that I am still uncertain whether or not they ought to be considered distinct species. Judging
from Mr. Royle’s description, G. vitifolium seems to be either a hybrid or cross, between
the Indian and American forms, or G. acuminatum, hut as I have not examined the plant I
forbear to offer any opinion. The other two, G. arboreum and G. religiosum are, I believe the
same plant, though possibly distinct, but I rather think not, since the difference of the
colour of the flower only, (the one purple the other yellow), gives probability to that supposition,
and such a distinction, would scarcely be admitted in any other genus. With the view
however of enabling all those who take an interest in this branch of the enquiry to judge for
themselves, I shall copy and reprint in outline, in my forthcoming leones, along with the obtuse
lobed variety, Mr. Royle’s figures, both as showing the* grounds on which his opinion is formed,
and the difference of forms of the Asiatic and American species. In so far as I have yet gone,
my remarks have all been directed to the botanical peculiarities of this genus, it is now incumbent
on me, in a work which has for its object to give some account of the history and the uses
of the more valuable plants which fall to be noticed in its progress, to consider briefly the economical
applications of the produce of this genus, which, when viewed in all its relations, must
without any exception, be ranked as the most valuable to mankind of the whole vegetable
kingdom.
During the year 1835, there was imported into England 361,685,000 pounds of clean
cotton. As however the imports that year were very high, let us suppose that 350 millions of
pounds is the quantity imported into England annually, and as a general average, that one acre
produces 100 lbs. of clean cotton, then 3,500,000 square acres of surface or about 5469 square
miles, are required to supply the English market with that one commodity: to cultivate which,
at the rate of 100 persons per square mile 5,46,900 persons are employed; and to convey the
produce to England 1,56,250 tons of shipping, or about 157 ships of 500 tons are required giving
employment to upwards of 6000 persons to navigate them : add to these, the number of
people employed in packing, conveying the article to the coast, embarking, relanding, &c. and
we may perhaps fairly assume as a very low estimate, that not fewer than a million persons are
engaged in supplying England with the raw material only, of her cotton manufactures.
The numbers employed in the construction of the machinery, and in the fabrication of the
article into the thousands of shapes it is made to assume, it is quite impossible to say, but may
perhaps, at a moderate estimate be stated at ten times that amount, when to that we add, that
probably not one-twentieth of what is produced finds its way to England, we may well say, that
cotton is the most valuable product of the vegetable kingdom.
The production of an article conferring so great commercial advantages on any country
enjoying a soil and climate suited for the growth of the plant, becomes an object of the first
importance, and has, more especially of late years, attracted much attention in India, in the
hope of enabling her, by improving the quality and increasing the quantity of cotton grown
for exportation, to compete, in supplying the English market, with America, though the latter
is a country, apparently enjoying every advantage for its successful culture, one from which by
far the best cotton has hitherto been derived, and which, contributes nearly 8-tenths of the
quantity imported into England: realizing there, for her most ordinary kinds, from 20 to 30 per
cent, more than the average prices of all those sorts, of East Indian extraction, technically
known under the name of Surats. Is it probable that we shall ever be able to accomplish this
object? and if so, by what means are we most likely to succeed in so far improving the staple
of our cottons, as to place them on a par with those of America? These are important questions
to this, as a productive country, and as such, ought, especially the first, to be well considered
before an answer is given, since, if in the negative, it might have the effect of discouraging
enterprise, and thereby, very materially tending to establish its own correctness, while, on the
other hand, if answered confidently in the affirmative, might have the effect of leading to very
injurious expenditure in a hopeless speculation.
The plan and limits of this work, not less than the short time allowed by the rapidly
revolving months to devote to the elaboration of a comprehensive article on the subject, prevents
me taking it up in all its bearings, I shall, however, endeavour to present a summary of
what has been ascertained, and thence proceed to deduce such conclusions as will, I trust, prove
a safe guide to future cultivators.
I stated above that in the English market even the cheapest sorts of American cotton,
usually sell, from 20 to 30 per cent, higher than the East Indian sorts or ‘ Surats5 as they
are technically denominated in the Price Currents. Under these 'circumstances it became desirable
that measures should be adopted to improve the Indian staples, with the view of placing
them upon a more equal footing with the American, and the most obvious means of doing so
appeared to be, to import seed and cultivate the American plant in India. It was, however,
objected to this plan that as the Indian cloths, were more lasting or wore better than those
fabricated from American cotton, that the Indian cotton was in reality better than the American,
and that if more pains were bestowed on its cultivation, so as to render it a more markets
able article, that it would from its own intrinsic merits supercede the latter. This objection
was however readily answered by assuming, which is probably the fact, that the superiority
of Indian cloth was not so much attributable to the quality of the cotton, as to its being
used in a more favourable condition, and still more, by its not being injured by the application
of acids, &c. in the bleaching.
On these grounds, and on the supposition that it might be easier to improve the cultivation
by inculcating a little additional care in the management of a new and higher priced article,
than by attempting to introduce any alteration in the management of one, which had been cultivated
from time immemorial, and though not according to the most approved system, yet well
enough to answer every useful purpose. Under this last view of the case, which to the best of my
knowledge is strictly correct, it seems desirable to introduce as far as possible, the cultivation of
some of the foreign ^sorts, were it for no other purpose than to establish improved modes of
culture and preparation of the indigenous kinds, the quality of which, when well prepared, is
considered but little inferior, if not, indeed, fully equal to Upland Georgian. To promote this
object the Court of Directors with the concurrence and advice of the Board of Control, resolved in
1829, to establish experimental cotton farms under the Bombay presidency for the introduction
of foreign sorts, especially the Upland Georgian and New Orleans, both belonging to the kind
called “ short staples” (from the shortness of the fibres of their wool,) and believing that it owed
its superiority, partly, to the mode of cleaning, sent also American machines to separate the
cotton from the seed.
The better to give these experiments every chance of success'by diffusion, large quantities
of American seed, accompanied by a copy of Captain Hall’s instructions for its cultivation and
■ I method of cleaning the produce as practised in America, was sent out in the course of that
and the succeeding years to Bengal and Madras, and the Governments of these Presidencies
instructed to distribute it among each of their Collectorates for experimental cultivation.
The seed thus received was accordingly distributed, but owing to accidents and delays too
commonly attendant on first attempts, the greater part spoiled and failed to vegetate, and
ot that which did grow much was afterwards lost, some owing to improper soils having
been selected, but by far the greater portion owing to the season, so far at least as the Madras
i residency was concerned, proving one of the most unfavourable that could be imagined for
such an experiment. Extreme drought and famine prevailing generally throughout the country,