107 



CHAPTER X. 



FIBRE-YIELDING PLANTS. 



Cotton. So far as the tropics are concerned, this cultiva- 

 tion is mainly restricted to India, in which country it is a great 

 staple, and the West Indies and West Africa, in which coun- 

 tries, thanks largely to the efforts of the British Cotton-growing 

 Association, ably seconded by those of the Imperial Department 

 of Agriculture for the West Indies, it is now assuming consider- 

 able importance. There is also reason to believe that Ceylon 

 can grow the Sea Island cottoD, which has been so successful 

 in the West Indies, and which, outside of them, has as yet only 

 proved to be cultivable in the Sea Islands of South Carolina. 



Cotton has been cultivated in India from pre-historic times, 

 and at one time Indian manufactured cotton goods were mainly 

 used in Europe. When America was discovered, the Mexicans 

 and Peruvians were found to be using their native cottons, but 

 this industry died out under the Spanish conquests. Later on, 

 cotton cultivation was begun in the southern United States, 

 and by the end of the 18th century there was a considerable 

 export to Great Britain. By 1860, with the continual improve- 

 ment that was going on in length of fibre and other qualities, 

 the supremacy of American cotton upon the market was 

 assured. Then followed the Civil War, which for the time cut 

 off American supplies, and the Indian cotton, hitherto only 

 received to the extent of about 400,000 bales annually, was 

 sent to England at the rate of about 1,500,000 bales a year. 

 With the better prices, India unfortunately took to adulteration 



