﻿AGRICULTURE. 
  139 
  

  

  The 
  popular 
  name 
  Cotton, 
  from 
  the 
  Italian 
  Cotone, 
  is 
  

   said 
  to 
  be 
  derived 
  from 
  its 
  resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  down 
  

   which 
  adheres 
  to 
  the 
  quince, 
  termed 
  by 
  the 
  Italians 
  

   Cotogni. 
  

  

  Many 
  varieties 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  are 
  described, 
  and 
  among 
  

   them 
  the 
  perennial 
  or 
  tree 
  cotton, 
  which 
  grows 
  sponta- 
  

   neously 
  in 
  Brazil 
  and 
  Peru. 
  The 
  annual 
  herbaceous 
  

   varieties, 
  only, 
  are 
  those 
  cultivated 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  

  

  The 
  average 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  in 
  land 
  of 
  medium 
  

   quality, 
  is 
  about 
  five 
  feet. 
  In 
  a 
  very 
  fertile 
  soil, 
  it 
  at- 
  

   tains 
  to 
  double 
  that 
  height, 
  whilst 
  in 
  one 
  exhausted 
  and 
  

   sterile 
  it 
  becomes 
  quite 
  a 
  dwarf. 
  

  

  Its 
  appearance 
  somewhat 
  resembles 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  ocra 
  

   plant, 
  but 
  is 
  much 
  more 
  branched, 
  and 
  the 
  leaves 
  less 
  

   in 
  size 
  and 
  of 
  more 
  uniform 
  shape. 
  

  

  The 
  branches 
  are 
  long 
  and 
  jointed, 
  occasionally 
  bifur- 
  

   cated, 
  and 
  bearing 
  at 
  each 
  joint 
  a 
  boll 
  or 
  capsule 
  con- 
  

   taining 
  the 
  wool 
  and 
  seed. 
  Each 
  boll 
  is 
  accompanied 
  

   by 
  a 
  broad 
  indented 
  leaf, 
  springing 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  joint 
  

   of 
  the 
  branch, 
  resting 
  upon 
  a 
  footstalk 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  

   inches 
  in 
  length. 
  

  

  The 
  woody 
  fibre 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  is 
  white, 
  spongy, 
  and 
  

   brittle, 
  but 
  is 
  invested 
  in 
  a 
  thick, 
  brown 
  epidermis, 
  which 
  

   is 
  very 
  pliant 
  and 
  tenacious. 
  

  

  The 
  root 
  is 
  tuberous, 
  penetrating 
  deeply 
  into 
  the 
  sub- 
  

   soil, 
  and 
  is 
  thus 
  less 
  affected 
  by 
  drought 
  than 
  most 
  other 
  

   plants. 
  

  

  The 
  blossom 
  is 
  cup-shaped, 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  inches 
  in 
  

   length, 
  never 
  very 
  widely 
  expanded, 
  white 
  on 
  the 
  first 
  

   day 
  until 
  past 
  noon, 
  then 
  changing 
  gradually 
  to 
  a 
  red 
  — 
  

   closing, 
  gradually, 
  for 
  the 
  next 
  day 
  or 
  two, 
  with 
  a 
  twist 
  

   at 
  the 
  extremity 
  over 
  the 
  germ 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  boll, 
  by 
  

   which 
  it 
  is 
  speedily 
  detached 
  in 
  its 
  rapid 
  growth, 
  when 
  

   it 
  withers 
  and 
  is 
  cast 
  off, 
  leaving 
  the 
  boll 
  invested 
  by 
  a 
  

  

  