SECTION IV: SEA ISLAND COTTON 279 



traffic load, in return, with rice and cottons, the greater part of which 

 is re-exported into Europe, the freight being always higher in the 

 northern than in the southern States.' 



' The culture of rice,' he says, ' in the southern and maritime part of Rice dia- 

 the United States has greatly diminished within these few years ; it cotton. y 

 has been in a great measure replaced by that of cotton, which affords 

 greater profit to the planters, since they compute a good cotton 

 harvest equivalent to two of rice. The result is that many rice 

 fields have been transformed into those of cotton, avoiding as much 

 as possible the water penetrating. 



' The soil most adapted for the culture of cotton is in the isles 

 situate upon the coast. Those which belong to the State of Georgia 

 produce the best of cotton, which is known in the French trade by 

 the name of " Georgia Cotton," "fine wool," and in England by that 

 of " Sea Island Cotton." The seed of this kind of cotton is of a deep 

 black, and the wool fine and very long. In February 1803 it was Price in 

 sold at Charleston at Is. 8d. per pound, whilst that which grows in 

 the upper country is not worth above seventeen or eighteen pence. 

 The first is exported to England, and the other goes to France ; but 

 what is very remarkable is, that whenever by any circumstance they 

 import these two qualities into our ports, they only admit of a dif- 

 ference of from twelve to fifteen per cent. The cotton planters have 

 particularly to dread the frosts that set in very early, and that fre- 

 quently do great damage to the crops by freezing one half of the 

 stalks, so that the cotton has not an opportunity to ripen.' The 

 traffic at the time of which Michaux wrote was apparently, however, 

 not very extensive, and the cotton was not then shipped direct. 



The chief market for Sea Island cotton is still, however, Charles- Charles- 

 ton. The demand for extended production would seem to hinge on ton * 

 three considerations : Whether the West Indies, Egypt, India, &c., 

 are ever likely to be able to grow an appreciable amount of this 

 very remarkable cotton, the plant being acclimatised in these new 

 homes without loss of its valued properties. Whether or not by 

 careful selection special stocks can be evolved from it, in direct 

 adaptation to altered environment, that would still prove worthy of 

 cultivation. Lastly whether, assuming the botanical explanation here 

 suggested to be correct, it might not be possible to produce from the 

 original stocks (G. mtifolium or G. barbadense x Or. brasiliense) new N GW 

 races in direct adaptation to the climatic and soil condition of each Forms, 

 country, that would serve the purpose aimed at more effectually than 



