Zb MR. BENNETT ON THE SPECIES OF CROTON 



quietly in a few places, penetrating twice about 3 miles inland. 

 On this, the N.E. side of the lake, beyond the belt of swamp 

 bordering it, the soil is fine rich loam, well-watered, and capable 

 of growing any tropical produce. Some cleared ground occurs 

 here and there ; but very little of it is now under cultivation; for the 

 growth of cotton it is well adapted. If the attention of the present 

 occupiers could be turned to this article, several hundred square 

 miles contiguous to water might produce cotton, which could be 

 carried to Lagos by canoes merely across the lake. A consider- 

 able quantity of cotton is now coming down from A.beokuta (distant 

 70 miles from Lagos by river) ; the price paid there for cotton in 

 the seed is one halfpenny per lb., three of which yield one pound 

 pure when cleaned. Labour of cleaning, transit to Lagos, with 

 shipment, raise it to Sd. per lb. ; one penny more, freight to Liver- 

 pool, leaves still a profit ; but a much larger supply is necessary 

 before the leading merchants here will enter into the trade with 

 the same advantage that now attends their dealings in palm oil. 



Too much must not be expected of Central Africa as a cotton- 

 producing country ; the plant needs more moisture than it would 

 obtain in much of the land in the interior, and water-carriage 

 should never be far distant in a country where all loads are con- 

 veyed by canoe or on the heads of men and women. There is 

 plenty of available land near the sea and by rivers ; the great valley 

 of the Niger would alone yield an enormous supply : it is here 

 cotton must be looked for, and its growth encouraged ; the great 

 plains of the interior are almost as useless in this respect as 

 Sahara itself. 



I remain. Sir, your most obedient Servant, 



Charles Barter, 



Note on the species of Croton described by Linnaeus under the 

 names of Glutia Eluteria and Clutia Cascarilla. By John 

 J. Bennett, Esq., F.E.S., Sec. L.S. 



[Eead April 21st, 1859.] 



During a late residence in the Bahama Islands, the attention of our 

 indefatigable member, Dr. W. E. Daniell, was especially directed 

 to the species of Croton growing in those islands ; and I am enabled, 

 by his kind communication of the specimens collected by him, to 



