206 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



cing a beatiful fibre ; and the Nankeen, a handsome staple, 

 of a true nankeen color, raised by the late Hon. John For- 

 syth, of Georgia, and some other planters. 



Cotton seed, like most of our cultivated plants, is the 

 creature of circumstances, and improves or deteriorates 

 within certain limits, according to climate, soil, manner of 

 selecting, &c. Even the long, silken fibre, and the black 

 seeds of the Sea-Island, assume the shorter, coarser staple, 

 and the green seed of the upland, when exposed for two or 

 three years to the same soil and position ; and a correspond- 

 ing change takes place.when the upland is made to grow on 

 the low sea-girt islands of South Carolina and Georgia. 

 The sea-muck, which is full of minute shells (lime), decom- 

 posed animal matter, including many of the phosphates and 

 salt, is one of the best applications for improving the qual- 

 ity of staple, as well as augmenting the quantity of fibre. 

 Salt, by many experienced planters, is deemed the principal 

 ingredient in effecting this improvement. It is believed that 

 it may be applied with equal success to the upland varieties. 



The amount of ^eed in cotton is large, being nearly 70 

 per cent, of the entire gathering, the fibre being about 28. 

 This is used for various purposes. Sometimes it is pressed 

 for the oil, of which it yields from 15 to 20 per cent, of its 

 own weight. When thus treated, the cake is used for cat- 

 tle food. The seed is frequently, though improperly fed 

 raw to stock ; and this often proves fatal, especially to swine 

 when fed before the adhering fibre has been decomposed, 

 besides being attended with much waste. It is most advan- 

 tageously prepared by boiling for half an hour, when it will 

 benefit all descriptions of stock. By adding an equal quan- 

 tity of corn, and boiling them together, it will fatten swine 

 rapidly. It is also useful to land as a manure. 



SUGAR CANE (Saccharum officinarum, Fig. 45). 



This plant was cultivated in Louisiana, on the present 

 site of the city of New Orleans, as early as 1726. For more 

 than half a century, however, its use was almost wholly 

 limited to the conversion of its juice into syrup and molas- 

 ses. Sugar was not made within the State of Louisiana, 

 till after 1760. In 1796, the second sugar mill was erected 

 on the plantation now occupied by the town of Carrolton. 

 Owing to the revolution in St. Domingo, and the emigration 

 of large numbers of her planters to Louisiana, the cultiva- 

 tion of the cane was largely extended soon after this period ; 



