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  AGRICULTURE. 
  

  

  nation, 
  but 
  extended 
  the 
  manufactures 
  and 
  commerce 
  of 
  

   the 
  world 
  m 
  a 
  degree 
  without 
  example 
  in 
  its 
  history. 
  

  

  Eli 
  Whitney 
  was 
  born 
  in 
  Massachusetts 
  in 
  1765, 
  

   graduated 
  at 
  Yale 
  College 
  in 
  1792, 
  and 
  went 
  shortly 
  

   after 
  to 
  Georgia, 
  to 
  assume 
  the 
  duties 
  of 
  a 
  private 
  tutor. 
  

   Being 
  disappointed 
  in 
  this 
  expectation, 
  he 
  became 
  an 
  

   inmate 
  in 
  the 
  family 
  of 
  the 
  widow 
  of 
  General 
  Green, 
  and 
  

   commenced 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  law 
  under 
  her 
  hospitable 
  roof. 
  

  

  Among 
  other 
  acts 
  done 
  in 
  requital 
  of 
  the 
  hospitality 
  

   and 
  kindness 
  of 
  his 
  obliging 
  hostess, 
  Mr. 
  Whitney 
  had 
  

   presented 
  her 
  with 
  a 
  tambour 
  frame, 
  made 
  on 
  a 
  plan 
  

   entirely 
  new, 
  and 
  of 
  his 
  own 
  construction. 
  

  

  This 
  and 
  the 
  various 
  toys 
  he 
  had 
  made 
  for 
  her 
  child- 
  

   ren, 
  acquired 
  for 
  him 
  the 
  reputation 
  of 
  great 
  ingenuity 
  

   and 
  mechanical 
  skill, 
  and 
  caused 
  the 
  invention 
  of 
  a 
  ma- 
  

   chine 
  for 
  the 
  separation 
  of 
  the 
  lint 
  or 
  fibre 
  of 
  the 
  cotton 
  

   from 
  the 
  seed, 
  to 
  be 
  suggested 
  to 
  him 
  by 
  some 
  gentle- 
  

   men, 
  visitors 
  of 
  his 
  hostess, 
  to 
  whom 
  she 
  had 
  consider- 
  

   ately 
  introduced 
  him. 
  

  

  Although 
  not 
  seriously 
  proposed, 
  or 
  with 
  the 
  expecta- 
  

   tion 
  that 
  the 
  suggestion 
  would 
  be 
  acted 
  upon, 
  a 
  direction 
  

   was 
  given 
  to 
  Whitney's 
  views, 
  which 
  neither 
  his 
  kind 
  

   patroness 
  nor 
  her 
  friends 
  dreamed 
  of. 
  

  

  His 
  active 
  and 
  inventive 
  mind 
  was 
  stimulated 
  to 
  

   action 
  by 
  the 
  great 
  importance 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  discovery, 
  and 
  

   he 
  determined 
  to 
  grapple 
  with 
  the 
  task, 
  sensible 
  of 
  the 
  

   vast 
  benefits 
  that 
  must 
  ensue 
  from 
  the 
  successful 
  accom- 
  

   plishment 
  of 
  the 
  undertaking. 
  

  

  Never 
  having 
  seen 
  in 
  his 
  life 
  the 
  cotton 
  or 
  cotton 
  

   seed, 
  with 
  some 
  difficulty, 
  by 
  visiting 
  Savannah, 
  he 
  pro- 
  

   cured 
  a 
  small 
  quantity, 
  which 
  he 
  brought 
  with 
  him, 
  and 
  

   acquainted 
  his 
  friend, 
  Mr. 
  Phineas 
  Miller, 
  with 
  his 
  in- 
  

   tentions, 
  in 
  which 
  he 
  was 
  warmly 
  encouraged, 
  and 
  an 
  

  

  