214 
‘Some Account of the PERSIAN COT- 
TON TREE. By Matruew Gururiz, 
M.D. F.R.S. Cc. Ge. 
Communicated by Dr. Percivat. 
READ OCT. 4, 1793. . 
Cotton is a plant of both the old and the new world. 
At least it is found wild in both; but I have my 
doubts whether it was a native of America before 
the Europeans carried it over; and shall assign rea- 
sons for my incredulity when I come to treat of the 
Persian Coiton; which is the very species that is aoe 
to be American. 
Five species of the cotton tree are enumerated by 
Linneus; and there is reason to suspect the existence 
of a sixth, if what we are told of the extreme fineness 
and silky nature of a particular kind, reared in some 
of the Antilles, be literally true. This curious va- 
riety is called Siam Cotton; because the reed was 
originally obtained from Siam. 
The first species of cotton is the Gossyrium 
‘ARBOREUM, Or InpDraA-CoTTON-IREE; which 
has been cultivated and manufactured in the East 
Indies, from the remotest period of the authentic 
history of that country; or between three and four 
thousand years. It delights in a sandy soil, 
