﻿140 
  AGRICULTURE. 
  

  

  capacious 
  tripartite, 
  dentate 
  caljx, 
  sufficiently 
  large 
  to 
  

   inclose 
  it 
  until 
  half 
  grown. 
  

  

  The 
  calyx 
  containing 
  the 
  germ 
  of 
  the 
  flower 
  is 
  trian- 
  

   gular 
  in 
  shape, 
  and 
  is 
  technically 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  square, 
  

   or 
  form. 
  In 
  this 
  stage 
  of 
  growth, 
  these 
  are 
  liable 
  to 
  

   be 
  disjointed 
  and 
  fall, 
  from 
  the 
  long 
  prevalence 
  of 
  

   drought; 
  but 
  more 
  so 
  when 
  a 
  rainy 
  season 
  suddenly 
  suc- 
  

   ceeds, 
  occasioning 
  a 
  second 
  growth 
  from 
  the 
  rapid 
  elabo- 
  

   ration 
  of 
  sap, 
  which 
  in 
  its 
  circulation 
  seems 
  not 
  to 
  enter 
  

   into 
  the 
  footstalk 
  as 
  freely 
  as 
  into 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  

   plant. 
  

  

  The 
  flower 
  of 
  the 
  Sea 
  Island 
  cotton 
  is, 
  in 
  its 
  first 
  

   stage, 
  of 
  a 
  bright 
  sulphur 
  color, 
  the 
  boll 
  small, 
  trilobate, 
  

   and 
  more 
  elongated, 
  whilst 
  the 
  other 
  varieties 
  produce 
  

   bolls 
  of 
  larger 
  size, 
  which 
  open 
  or 
  divide 
  into 
  four 
  and 
  

   occasionally 
  into 
  five 
  valves 
  or 
  cells. 
  

  

  The 
  cotton 
  plant 
  commences 
  flowering 
  about 
  the 
  first 
  

   of 
  June, 
  and 
  ceases 
  about 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  November, 
  when 
  

   the 
  plant 
  is 
  killed 
  by 
  the 
  frost. 
  

  

  The 
  bolls 
  are 
  egg-shaped, 
  rather 
  under 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  

   egg 
  of 
  the 
  domestic 
  fowl, 
  pointed 
  at 
  the 
  extremity, 
  ex- 
  

   panding 
  widely 
  when 
  fully 
  mature, 
  exhibiting 
  a 
  brown 
  

   tough, 
  woody, 
  membranous 
  seed-vessel, 
  somewhat 
  horny 
  

   in 
  texture, 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  expanded 
  locks 
  of 
  fibre 
  or 
  lint 
  

   adhere. 
  

  

  The 
  culture 
  of 
  cotton 
  was 
  introduced 
  into 
  China 
  about 
  

   the 
  thirteenth 
  century, 
  and 
  has 
  extended 
  largely 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  

   Nankin 
  variety 
  especially, 
  produced 
  there, 
  has 
  acquired 
  

   a 
  wide 
  notoriety, 
  forming 
  a 
  distinct 
  fabric, 
  which 
  is 
  even 
  

   yet 
  imported 
  to 
  some 
  extent 
  into 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  

  

  In 
  England, 
  although 
  among 
  the 
  last 
  countries 
  where 
  

   its 
  manufacture 
  was 
  introduced, 
  it 
  had 
  become 
  well 
  

   established 
  at 
  Manchester 
  as 
  early 
  as 
  1640. 
  

  

  In 
  1719, 
  it 
  was 
  suggested 
  that 
  the 
  climate 
  of 
  South 
  

  

  