Book VII.  JSlandof BARBADOS. 
The SMaLy CotTon Tree; Lat. Xylon. | 
ROUGE the Cotton-Wool is diftinguifhed into the great, the Ra= 
vellin, the Vine and Flying-fith Sort ; yet the Trees, bearing this Va= 
riety of Wool, differ very little from one another. 
The Leaves of each are fealloped, of thofe bearing the great Sort, very 
deeply, not ill refembling a Curran-Tree-Leaf in England. Thofe of the 
Flying-fifh Cotton-Tree are likewife deeply fegmented ; having their mid- 
dle and tranfverfe Ribs of a reddith Colour. 
The Leaves of the Ravellin and the Vine are lef {calloped, and more 
blunt-pointed. 
‘Moft of thefe Trees, or rather Shrubs, if permitted to grow to their own 
natural Height, would rife to about fifteen Feet high ; but, as fuch a luxu- 
riant Growth would prevent their bearing the Number of Pods, they 
would otherwife do, as well as fhade the Corn and Pulf planted generally 
among them, the main Branches are therefore yearly lopp’d off. 
The Flowers are compofed of five large yellow Leaves, each ftained at 
the Bottom with a purple Spot. 
The Piftil is {trong and large, furrounded at, and near, the T op with 
a yellow farinaceous Duft, which when ripe falls into the Matrix of the 
Piftil. 
This is likewife furrounded, when the Petals of the Flowers drop, 
with a capfular Pod, fupported by three almoft triangular green Leaves, 
deeply jagged at their Ends. 
The inclofed Pod, which is rather of a conic than a round Shape, opens, 
when ripe, into three or four Partitions, difcovering the Cotton in as many 
white Locks, as there are Partitions inthe Pod. In thefe Locks are inter- 
{perfed the Seeds, which are blackifh and fmall. : 
The Cotton-Wool (of which in the Ea/? Indies they make their fineft 
Callico) is too well known to want a farther Defcription: Yet it would 
not be amifs here to obferve, that, as the Inhabitants of the warmeft Cli- 
mates want cloathing, efpecially in the wet Seafons of the Year, indul- 
gent Providence hath fufficiently fupplied the want of Wool, here denied 
to Sheep, by caufing a Vegetable to bear the fineft Wool in the World. 
However the Certainty of gathering a good Crop of this Kind is very pre- 
carious ; fince we may almoft literally fay of this Shrub, that in the Morning 
itis green and flourifheth, and almoft in the fame Evening it decays and 
withers: For when the Worms begin to prey upon a whole Field of Cotton 
Trees, though they are at firft {carce perceptible to the naked Eye; yet 
in three Days they will grow to a confiderable Bignefs, and fo devouring in 
that fhort time, that they will reduce the moft verdant Field, thickly and 
beautifully cloathed with Leaves and Flowers, into almoft as defolate and 
naked a Condition as Trees are in the Month of December in England ; 
leaving often not a whole Leaf remaining; by this means, efpecially if they 
O@e.=: come 
I9i 
