26 



CASE dyeing, for making ladies' hats. The wood is very flexible 



12. and durable and is used for fishing-rods, gunstocks, &c. 

 CASE In this case note flowers, fruits, gum, and fibre of the 



13. Portia Tree (Thespesia po2)ylneii, Corr.), a coast tree 

 of India, Ceylon, the Pacific Islands, &c. The fibre from 

 the inner bark is said to be used in Demerara for making 

 coffee bags. The wood is tough and durable and is used 

 in India for furniture, cart and carriage building, gun- 

 stocks, &c. 



No. 70. Cotton consists of the delicate, tubular, 

 hair-like cells which clothe the seeds of various species 

 of Gossypium ; its commercial value depends on the 

 length and tenacity of these hairs. 



The species yielding the cottons of commerce are, (1) 

 Sea Island Cotton {G. viti folium^ Lamk., and possibly 

 also G. harhadense, L.) ; (2) Short Staple American {G, 

 lierhaceum^ 1..) ; (3) Upland, Georgian, and Egyptian {G, 

 hirsiitiim, L. Sp. PI. non Herb.) ; (4) Indian — (a) Surat, 

 Broach, &c. (G. obtusifolium, Roxb., of which there are 

 many varieties, the best being G. ivightianum^ Tod.), 

 and (b) Bengals {G. neglectam^ Tod.) ; (5) Brazilian, Bahi? 

 and Pernambuco {G. hraslliense^ Macf.) ; (6) Peruvian 

 ((t. peruviamimy Cav.) ; (7) China and Japan (G. Nank- 

 ing^ Meyen). 



The name Nankin Cotton came into use to denote any 

 khaki-coloured cotton. All wild cottons have rufous 

 floss and every cultivated plant by reversion tends to 

 produce red-coloured cotton so that any species may 

 afford a Nankin cotton if by Nankin be meant a rufous 

 or khaki-coloured floss. 



A portion of this case is devoted to the different 

 sorts of commercial cotton, grown in the United States, 

 South America, India, Africa, and the warmer parts of 

 Europe ; also to specimens of cotton cloths in various 

 stages of manufacture both by civilised and barbarous 

 nations. 



The use of Cotton dates from a very early period. 

 Sanscrit records carry it back at least 2,600 years, while 

 in Peruvian sepulchres cotton cloth and seeds have been 

 found. No. 71 is a piece of cotton cloth from a 

 Peruvian mummy. 



