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 to Brazil, the West Indies, and parts of tropical 

 Africa. Its extension in the latter two has been largely due to 

 the efforts of the British Cotton-Growing Association, ably 

 seconded by those of the Imperial Department of Agriculture 

 for the West Indies, and the other local departments of agri- 

 culture. In Brazil, with the high price of cotton during recent 

 years, and the efforts of the Government, a great stimulus has 

 been given to its culture, and it looks as if that country, the 

 native home of so many kinds of cotton, might become the 

 chief tropical centre of cultivation. 



Cotton has been cultivated in India from prehistoric 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, 



