COTTON. 103 



the masses of seed cotton have been picked from the lower branches of 

 the plant, which is sympodial in its mode of branching. This forked 

 system of branching facilitates the maturing of cotton bolls on the 

 axillary branches of the plant, while the upper branches are developing 

 leaves for assimilating purposes, and buds, flowers, and capsules at a later 

 stage for the second crop. 



The new or Bottom Crop of lint fibres, after they have been cleaned 

 from the seeds, is often spoken of as being Bloomy. This means that 

 the new cotton shows a glossiness of staple that is striking to the eye, 

 making it appear to be better than it really is. The cotton broker 

 will sometimes allow a slight reduction in the price of the cotton 

 when the bloominess is excessive. 



The Top Crop of cotton has the carpels plucked from the upper part 

 of the branches of the plant, and is sometimes termed the " Second" crop. 

 When such cotton has been ginned, it is found that the staple is hardly so 

 good as that previously gathered from the lower or more axillary parts of 

 the plant, where the tissues are probably richer in secretions. 



Time of Crops. The new crop of American cotton arrives in 

 Liverpool generally about the end of September or the beginning of 

 October. In the Brazils and in Egypt the new crop is about a 

 month later, and the East Indian crop arrives about March. 



America has a climate that is peculiarly adapted for the growth of 

 the cotton plant. Much of the American cotton is grown on the banks 

 of the Mississippi, the Red River, and the Brazos river of the Texas 

 cotton-fields. The harvest of cotton is liable to killing frosts in 

 November and December. 



Brazil is a good cotton-growing country. Seeds of American cotton 

 have been utilised to produce exotic plants which have thrived well. 

 The cotton obtained from such plants has received the name of Santos ; 

 the staple is better adapted for weft cotton than is the general run of 

 Brazilian cottons. 



Fig. 69 is a sample of Brown Egyptian cotton heavily charged with 

 black seeds, as shown in the illustration. Brown Egyptian has a curly 

 appearance, which is typical of cottons that are cleaned by the roller or 

 the Macarthy gin. 



Cotton, Havre (French Cotton). During the eighties a large quantity 

 of cotton bales were shipped to Havre in France. It was sold at a 

 remarkably low price, and many Lancashire spinners, particularly in 

 Oldham, were induced to speculate in the cheap lots of French cotton, as 

 it was sometimes styled. 



The staple was short, poor, and dirty, and resulted in a considerable 

 loss to those firms who were taken in by the new venture of buying 



