COTTON. 25 



and the Georgians are indebted to the Asiatic seed, 

 procured chiefly at Smyrna, for the excellence of their 

 produce. This plant has flourished exceedingly well 

 in Georgia, where it yields the best cotton in the 

 world, for the length and fineness of its fibre. 



The cultivation of the cotton plant ki the United 

 States has, according to Humboldt, increased in a 

 prodigious ratio, and the production of cotton con- 

 tinues to be an object with the Americans of growing 

 importance. ' ' Sea Island '* and " Upland '' cotton 

 are the terms used in commerce to designate the cot- 

 ton which comes from Georgia. "These hieroglyphics 

 in the Liverpool News," are fully explained in Cap- 

 tain Basil Hall's entertaining narrative of his travels 

 in North America. 



Near the Georgian coast are several small islands. 

 It is on these insular spots that the finest cotton is 

 grown, and from these it takes its name, which, 

 however, is borrowed, in order to class under the 

 same head cotton raised at various places on the 

 main coast, and also in the swampy regions bordering 

 on most of the great rivers. That which grows farther 

 from the sea, and at a higher level, has acquired the 

 name of upland cotton, and is of inferior quality. 



The cotton-tree is cultivated in most of the West- 

 India islands ; and in South America this branch of 

 agriculture has long been an object of attention. 

 Until a very recent period, cotton formed one of the 

 principal articles of exportation from Demerara ; but 

 its increased and cheaper production in many other 

 countries has, notwithstanding the great and con- 

 stantly increasing demand, lowered its price so con- 

 siderably, that the Demerara planters have found it 

 more to their advantage gradually to convert their 

 cotton into sugar plantations. Much, however, is 

 still grown in other parts of Guiana, and is known in 

 commerce as Demerara cotton. 



