FARMERS' REGISTER— COTTON— HERBEMONT'S GRAPE. 



591 



The "Encj'clopiedia of Plants," a late work of 

 high authority on botanical subjects, has the fol- 

 lowing remarks: ^^Gossypium herbaceum'''' (our 

 green seed cotton) "is the only species cultivated 

 in Europe, especially in the Levant, and in Malta, 

 Sicily, and Naples; it is also grown in many parts 

 of Asia. 



"G. hirsutum (our Mexican cotton) is occa- 

 sionally grown in the West Indies; but G. bar- 

 badens'e is the prevailing species there. In the 

 East Indies, and in Cliina, G. herbaceum and 

 G. arboreutu are cultivated, and some other spe- 

 cies, especially that which produces the nank.cen 

 colored down, not yet introduced into Europe. 



"The Barbadoes cotton jilant is sown in the 

 West Indies, in rows about five feet asunder. The 

 wool is cleared from the seeds by a machine cal- 

 led a gin, composed of two or three wooden rollers 

 of about one mch in diameter, ranged horizontally 

 close and parallel to each other in a frame, and 

 made to revolve in contrary directions." 



The follo^ving are the specific characters of the 

 G. barbadense — upper leaves three lobed, low- 

 er five lobed, with three glands beneath — stem 

 smoothish. In the artificial botanical system of 

 Linnteus, the cotton plant Gossypium, belongs to 

 the class JMonadelphia, order Polyandria. In the 

 natural svstem of Linnteus, it belongs to the order 

 Columniferee, the stamens being united on a cen- 

 tral column, or tube, which also encloses the pis- 

 tillum. In the natural system of Jussicii, which 

 has superseded the natural system of Linnasus, it 

 belongs to the order 3falvacc<s, ranking with the 

 genus Malva (mallows) and Hibiscus, which in- 

 cludes the ukru (hibiscus esculentus) of our gar- 

 dens. 



Mr. Spalding is too exclusive when he says, 

 "that the production of this sea island cotton is 

 confined to the country extending along the coast 

 from Georgetown, in South Carolina, to the St. 

 Mary's in Georgia." This cotton has been pro- 

 duced in Middle Florida, since its first settlement, 

 about the year 1822; and the crops made here 

 have been annually sold in the Charleston market, 

 at prices a little exceeding, generally, those of the 

 '■Mains and Santees," though not quite equalling 

 good "sea islands." Moreover, it is produced from 

 the coast to the distance of thirty miles inland; but 

 at the same time, it is not denied that the presence 

 of sea air is beneficial to this crop. If I have 

 not been misinibnned, this cotton is also produced 

 by the planters on the St. John's in East Florida, 

 and was formerly produced in the Bahamas, until 

 the ravages of the caterpillar compelled its aban- 

 donment. I think it may be doubted, whether 

 Mr. Spalding is correct in the opinion, that this 

 cotton becomes less fine when carried south of the 

 St. Mary's. It is probably a native of a tropical 

 climate, and therefore, most probably, would not 

 be less fine when produced in the West Indies. I 

 have heard that some of this cotton produced at 

 Cape Sable, has commanded fifty cents per pound 

 in the Charleston market, without unusual care in 

 its growth and preparation. 



In limiting the range of the short staple cottons 

 to 200 miles of the sea coast, Mr, Spalding ap- 

 pears to have overlooked North Alabama and 

 West Tennessee, In receding from the sea 

 coast, however, two causes are constantly ope- 

 rating against the growth of cotton; a higher lati- 

 tude, and a greater elevation, both tending to 



produce a colder climate. To these causes may 

 probably be added a third, the loss of sea air. 

 Other things being equal, the cotton planter, there- 

 fore, should prefer the neighborhood of the sea 

 coast. 



To pass to other topics, I may observe, that the 

 cotton planters of" Middle Florida, can this year 

 bear testimony to the great superiority, in produc- 

 tiveness, of what is called the "Petit GuU'cotton." 

 Wherever, in this countiy, it has been tried, its 

 superiority is ii-ecly admitted, and some most 

 abundant crops have been obtained from it the 

 present season. It appears to be a variety of the 

 Mexican cotton, (G. hirsutum) it having the rough 

 stem and petiole of that species. It is said to be 

 the effect of some peculiarity of soil along the 

 Mississippi river, between the 32nd and 33rd de- 

 grees of latitude. 



H. B. CROOM. 



Middle Florida, December, 1834. 



P. S. It is to be regretted, that the common 

 names of plants, oflcn carry with them no cer- 

 tainty beyond the neighborhood in which they 

 are used. Thus I was deceived in regard to the 

 "partridge pea" of one of your correspondents. 

 In one of your late numbers, speaking of the 

 price of the seeds of the locust tree, you appear to 

 refer to the honey locust ( Gleditschia triacanthos ; ) 

 whereas, I would suppo'se that another tree, the 

 Robinia pseudacacia, was meant, which is some- 

 times called white locust, sometimes black locust, 

 and sometimes yellow locust. 



[The native locust, and not the honey locust, was 

 the tree spoken of in the article referred to above.] 



ORIGIN OF "hERBEMONt's BIADEIRA GRAPE." 



To tlie Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



* * Since I wrote to answer your inquiry, 

 I have learned a little more concerning the origin 

 of the vine called "Herbemont's Madeira." It 

 certainly has been received from France, under dif- 

 ferent names, and also fi-om Madeira. It is most 

 undoubtedly one of the most esteemed families of 

 vines in Kurope. In certain situations in this 

 country, Charleston for example, it does most ad- 

 mirably well. It has been received from France 

 by the names of "Muscat gris," "Pineau,." and 

 "Maurillon." I have not yet been able to learn 

 by what name it has been received fiom Madeira. 

 It changes some of its characters so much in this 

 country, as scarcely to be known again — for here 

 it grows to the size and vigor of our strongest 

 native vines. Th.e nomenclature of the vines is, 

 in Europe, in such a chaotic stale, that it would 

 take the labors of at least twenty Hercules to 

 clear it up. Now that this culture is fairly begun 

 in this country, we should be very particular with 

 our names; and confusion in nomenclature is fre- 

 quently inextricable, at the same time that it is 

 exceedingly disadvantageous to the cultivators. 

 The names should be short, if possible, and un- 

 changed after they have been adopted. I would 

 suggest, for example, that the excellent kinds in- 

 troduced by the names of "Norton's Virginia Seed- 

 ling," and "Cunningham's Prince Edward," be 

 simplified, by suppressing every thing but the 

 names of the gentlemen entitled to the honor of 

 naming them. 



N. HERBEMONT. 



