86 COTTON IN THE U. S. 



price, however varies greatly, from differences in quality. Superior 

 Brazil cotton is among the long-stapled. The best of the upland cot- 

 ton is grown also in Georgia. The Cottons of India are short stapled 

 and these, until lately, have been wholly consumed there. 



Cotton in the U. S. has increased beyond a parallel in the history of 

 any vegetable product. The first plant was cultivated in 1787, though 

 it is indigenous. In 1791 there was grown in the U. S. 2,000,000 Ibs., 

 half in each of the states of S. Carolina and Georgia. In 1801, 

 40,000,000 Ibs. were raised, part being grown in some other stales. 

 In 1811, the crop was 80,000,000; in 1821 it was 170,000,000; in 

 1828 it was 348i millions ; in 1833 it was 437f millions; and in 1840 

 790,479,279 Ibs. S. Carolina yielded the most cotton from 1791 to 

 1826 ; then Georgia to 1834, then Alabama and Mississippi, and now 

 the latter is the most productive state. 



The cotton of the southern states is of 3 kinds, the nankeen, the 

 green seed (white with green seeds) and the black seed. The two first 

 or short stapled, grow in the upper or middle country and the last in 

 the lower country, near the sea and on small islands. This long 

 stapled is fine, white and strong. The roller-gin and saw-gin are 

 the machines used for cleansing cotton : The first consists of 2 rollers, 

 between which the cotton passes ; the size of the seeds prevent them 

 from passing through. The latter was invented by Mr. Whitney in 

 1793 and consists in a receiver having one side covered with strong 

 parallel wires of an inch apart. Between these pass circular saws, 

 and the cotton becomes entangled in the teeth of these and is drawn 

 out through the wire grating, which prevents the seeds from passing. 

 The cotton is then swept from the saws by a revolving brush, the 

 seeds falling out at the bottom. The application of this machine was 

 a new era in the production of cotton in the U. S. Prior to this, little 

 or none was exported, and not a pound in 1790. The rapid increase 

 since is seen above. 



The Exports from the U. S. in 1829 was, to Great Britain 498,001 

 bales, to France 184,821, and other parts of Europe 66,178 total, 

 749,000. In 1841 the amount exported to Great Britain was 902,191 

 bales ; and she received from India the same year 274,984 bales, 50, 

 000 Ibs. more than in 1840, and 80,000 more than in 1839, or nearly 

 equal to the consumption of the U. S. in 1840. The value of our ex- 

 ports of cotton in 1840 was $63,870,307. 



The crop of last year was large, while that of 1840 was not an aver- 

 age one ; that of 1839 was unusually large. The price has decreased, 

 but improved modes of culture have lately been introduced. A planter of 

 Alabama has raised from 3000 to 5000 Ibs. per acre, where, by the old 

 system, but 500 Ibs. only were raised, and the quality of the article is 

 said to be much improved. He says he has picked 5,989 Ibs. from an 

 acre. Texas is now beginning to raise large quantities of cotton, and 



