AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 237 



In 1784, the first parcel of American cotton, 3000 pounds, was exported to England. In 

 1791, 19,200 pounds were exported. The next year the quantity rose to 138,328 pounds. 

 In 1793, Whitney's cotton-gin came into operation, and its immediate effect maybe inferred from 

 the fact, that the very next year, in 1794, the United States exported 1,601,760 pounds, and 

 in 1795, 5,276,306. Previous to the invention of the cotton-gin by Whitney, the importation 

 of cotton into Great Britain did not greatly exceed five millions of pounds per annum, and the 

 value of cotton goods exported was only two hundred thousand pounds sterling. Since then, the 

 amount has steadily increased, and in 1852 Great Britain consumed not far from 800,000,000 

 pounds of raw cotton, and exported £31,000,000 of manufactured cotton goods. 



In the same year, (1805,) the total consumption of cotton in all the United States was a 

 little more than one thousand bales ! Now, the eotton consumed by the mills of Lowell exceeds 

 two million eight hundred and twenty thousand pounds per month. 



In 1810, Tench Coxe, of Philadelphia, in accordance with instructions from Albert Galla- 

 tin, collected all the information he could, touching the condition of American manufactures 

 at that period. The result of his labors was published in 1812 ; and according to his report, 

 during the year 1810, Massachusetts manufactured thirty-six thousand yards of cotton cloth, 

 and two hundred pieces of duck, the first valued at $28,000, and the second at $6,000, which 

 was the extent of her factory operations. In all the States combined, there were only 146,974 

 yards of cotton cloth manufactured during that year. Now, the Massachusetts Mills of Lowell 

 produce something more than ./be hundred and thirty -six thousand yards per week, or 25,728,000 

 per year. In his ardor to promote domestic manufactures, Mr. Coxe urged families to make 

 their own cloth, and recommended the circulation of official tracts or pamphlets, describing 

 the best machinery for family use ; and, by way of inciting the South to increased action, 

 advised them to manufacture, for the use of their slaves, a " cap of thick home-made, undyed 

 cotton swan-skin, similar in form to the Highland woollen cap of North Britain." He thought 

 such a cap would preserve the health of the slaves, and therefore financially benefit their 

 masters. 



The war of 1812 gave a fresh impetus to American manufactures, insomuch that in 1816 a 

 report to Congress showed that forty millions of dollars were then invested in cotton manu- 

 factures, and twelve millions in woollen ; and that during the year, ninety thousand bales of 

 cotton had been consumed by our factories, and that the aggregate value of all the goods 

 manufactured was equal to about sixty millions of dollars. In 1850, according to the late 

 census report, there were in all the States 1094 establishments for the manufacture of cotton, 

 employing a capital of $74,501,031, and producing goods annually to the value of $61,859,184. 



There can be no doubt but the great increase of the consumption of cotton can be traced to 

 the invention of the cotton-gin. Before the invention of the cotton-gin, it took a female one 

 whole day to clean one pound of cotton, and the best machine — the roller-gin with fluted rolls 

 — which was in use in 1788 for cleaning cotton, could only finish about thirty pounds in twelve 

 hours. The great consumption of cotton for manufacturing is attributable to its cheapness ; 

 but it never would have become a cheap fibrous material by the old processes of cleaning, and 

 our country never would have become a great cotton country if the cotton-gin had not been 

 invented. 



The first attempts to introduce the manufacture of cotton into Great Britain, in common 

 with all like enterprises, met with a fierce and well-directed opposition. In order to protect 

 woollen manufactures, laws were enacted forbidding the use of cotton garments, under the 

 penalty of fine and imprisonment. The laboring classes, who considered cotton detrimental to 

 their interests, frequently manifested their hostility to it by riot and bloodshed ; vagabonds, 

 too lazy to woi'k, pretended that cotton had thrown them out of employment and reduced them 

 to pauperism ; and felons occasionally pleaded cotton as an extenuation of their crimes ; an 

 amusing instance of which may be found in the following letter, published in the Gentleman's 

 Intelligencer, for May, 1784: 



" From Cork, in Ireland. 

 " This day, one Michael Carmody was executed here for felony, upon which the journeymen 

 weavers of the city (who labor under great difficulties by reason of the deadness of trade, 



