ORIGIN OF THE HINDI COTTON. 5 



SUPPOSED RELATION OF HINDI COTTON TO UNITED STATES 



UPLAND VARIETIES. 



The nature and origin of the Hindi cotton appear to have been the 

 subject of as much popular spccuhition in Egypt as the red rice in 

 the United States. The word " Hindi '' is the Arabic equivalent of 

 our word " Indian." Some writers have taken this to mean that the 

 cotton came from Hindustan, while others consider that the name 



Fig. 



-Loaf of Hindi cotton (natui-al size). 



Hindi might be applied to any foreign plant and has no particular 

 significance as an indication of origin. A third opinion is that this 

 cotton is either a native Egj'ptian variety or one that was cultivated 

 in the countr}' before the present commercial type. The reason given 

 for this idea is that this cotton is frequentl}' found in a wild or spon- 

 taneous condition in uncultivated or abandoned lands. 



[Cir. 42] 



