﻿144 
  AGRICULTURE. 
  

  

  years, 
  originating 
  in 
  a 
  promiscuous 
  cultivation 
  of 
  differ- 
  

   ent 
  kinds, 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  pollen 
  became 
  intermixed, 
  and 
  

   the 
  different 
  qualities 
  assimilated. 
  

  

  Some 
  new 
  and 
  excellent 
  varieties 
  have 
  thus 
  been 
  pro- 
  

   duced, 
  wdiich 
  have 
  been 
  preserved 
  and 
  further 
  improved 
  

   by 
  a 
  careful 
  and 
  judicious 
  selection 
  of 
  seed 
  in 
  the 
  field. 
  

   These, 
  together 
  with 
  some 
  spurious 
  kinds, 
  which 
  have 
  

   been 
  palmed 
  off 
  upon 
  the 
  planter 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time, 
  

   have 
  been 
  known 
  by 
  rather 
  whimsical 
  and 
  fantastic 
  

   names, 
  having 
  little 
  or 
  no 
  relation 
  to 
  their 
  distinctive 
  

   character. 
  Many 
  of 
  them 
  have 
  had 
  their 
  day, 
  whilst 
  

   others 
  deservedly 
  maintain 
  the 
  high 
  estimation 
  to 
  which 
  

   their 
  superior 
  qualities 
  entitle 
  them. 
  

  

  The 
  diseases 
  of 
  the 
  cotton 
  plant 
  are 
  the 
  rust, 
  the 
  rot, 
  

   and 
  the 
  sore 
  shins. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  is 
  most 
  probably 
  attributable 
  to 
  the 
  mineral 
  

   properties 
  of 
  the 
  soil, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  local 
  and 
  partial 
  in 
  its 
  

   effects; 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  spots 
  of 
  ground 
  affected 
  by 
  it, 
  the 
  

   difference 
  of 
  soil 
  is 
  obvious 
  to 
  the 
  eye. 
  The 
  appearance 
  

   of 
  the 
  plant 
  so 
  diseased, 
  suggests 
  the 
  existence 
  of 
  micro- 
  

   scopic 
  fungi, 
  w^iich 
  exhaust, 
  by 
  their 
  parasitic 
  growth, 
  

   the 
  sap 
  of 
  the 
  leaves, 
  and 
  cause 
  them 
  to 
  wither 
  and 
  

   fall. 
  

  

  The 
  rot, 
  or 
  disease 
  of 
  the 
  boll, 
  has 
  been 
  assigned 
  to 
  

   various 
  causes. 
  The 
  first 
  external 
  indication 
  of 
  its 
  ap- 
  

   proach 
  is 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  an 
  almost 
  imperceptible 
  

   puncture 
  on 
  the 
  side, 
  and 
  generally 
  near 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  

   boll, 
  surrounded 
  by 
  a 
  slight 
  discoloration 
  or 
  change 
  of 
  

   tint, 
  presenting 
  the 
  semblance 
  of 
  a 
  minute 
  spot 
  of 
  grease 
  

   — 
  a 
  character 
  given 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  common 
  conversation 
  of 
  

   planters, 
  in 
  speaking 
  of 
  the 
  disease.* 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  received 
  opinion, 
  and 
  that 
  best 
  supported 
  is, 
  

  

  * 
  See 
  Plate 
  YI. 
  

  

  