SECTION IV: SEA ISLAND COTTON 275 



41. Var. maritima, Watt: G. MARITIMUM, Tod., Oss.su Cotone,83; 

 Bel Cult.dei Cot., 1877-78, 225-33, t. VIL, and also G. MARITIMUM, 



VAR. POLYCARPUM, Tod., I.C., t. VIII. ; G. SARBADENSE, ParL, Sp. 



dei Cot., 1866, 48-54 (in part), t. in. ; G. MARITIMUM, C. Mull, 

 Walp., Ann. Bot., vn., 1868, 413 ; Aliotta, Biv. Grit. Gen. Goss., 

 1903, 28-32. 



The Sea Island Cottons (proper), also the Gallini Cottons of 

 Egypt. 



A glabrous annual with ascending branches which are given off Descrip- 

 from the very bottom of the stem ; leaves very large, broad, deeply 

 3- to 5-lobed, distinctly cordate, lobes spreading ovate oblong 

 acuminate ; fruits 3-celled, elongated, opening freely ; seeds free, 

 naked, and floss very long, 1^ to 2^ inches, somewhat creamy 

 coloured, but very fine, strong and silky with comparatively regular 

 twistings. (See Plates Nos. 46C, 47 and 48.) 



Habitat. Cultivated in warm insular countries, but never satis- Tropical 

 faetorily when remote from the sea. The greatest success has been 

 attained in the islands off the coast of Georgia and Carolina, with 

 Charleston as the emporium of the traffic. 



Eecently the endeavour to organise a cultivation of this special 

 staple in the West Indies would appear to have given every satis- 

 faction, and already indications have been obtained of its having 

 become an established commodity. In commerce mention is fre- 

 quently made of Sea Island cotton from Hawaii, Fiji, the Malay Degen- 

 13tates, Queensland, and Egypt. I have not, unfortunately, had the states, 

 opportunity of examining authentic botanical specimens of the plants 

 actually grown in some of these countries, but what I have seen 

 induces me to suppose that the Sea Island referred to may be (as 

 I know it is in Egypt) either degenerated stocks or special races of 

 G. barbadense or G. vitifolium, but not the true Sea Island Cotton of the 

 islands of Georgia and Carolina. 



CULTIVATION 



Acclimatisation. Dr. Evans says : ' It may be cultivated in any Climatic 

 region adapted to the olive and near the sea, the principal requisite 

 being a hot and humid atmosphere, but the results of acclimatisation 

 indicate that the humid atmosphere is not entirely necessary if 

 irrigation be employed, as this species is undoubtedly grown exten- 

 sively in Egypt. As a rule, the quality of the staple increases with 



il 



