305 



For limitation of species and varieties Parlatore's specie 

 dei cotoni (Florence, 1866,) and Todaro's asservazioni su 

 cotone may be consulted ; information on culture may be 

 sought in Porter's " Tropical Agriculturist " and in Mallet's 

 work on " Cotton" (London, 1862). 



There are many parts of our Colony, in which all these 

 species of Gossypium could be cultivated, and where a fair 

 or even prolific cotton crop may be obtained. Good cotton 

 for instance has been produced on the Goulbourn River, 

 the Loddon, the Avoca and the Murray Bivers, particularly 

 in places where water could be applied. All cultivated 

 kinds of Cotton-plants are either naturally perennials or 

 become such in favorable climes, although they may be 

 treated strictly as annuals. Some of them will indeed in 

 particular instances grow to the height of 20 feet. The 

 geographic parallels, between which cotton-culture is usually 

 placed, are stretching in various girdles between the 36° 

 N.L. and 36° S.L. The primary advantages of this important 

 culture are : A return in a few months, comparatively easy 

 field operations, simple and not laborious process of collect- 

 ing the crop, and requirement of but little care in the 

 use of the gin-machine in finally preparing the raw material 

 for the market, the woolly covering of the seeds constituting 

 the cotton of commerce. The oil obtained by pressure from 

 the seeds is useful for various technic purposes, and the 

 oil-cake can be used like most substances of similar kind 

 for very fattening stable-feed. Sea Island Cotton was 

 raised in splendid perfection in the northern parts of Vic- 

 toria fully 15 years ago from seeds, extensively distributed 

 by the writer ; but the want of cheap labor has hitherto 

 militated against the extensive cultivation of the Cotton, 

 and so also against the culture of Tea and many other indus- 

 trial plants. Cotton having been raised far away from the 

 influence of the sea-air, it would be worthy of attempts, to 

 naturalize various kinds of Cotton in the oases of our 

 deserts, irrespective of regular culture. Our native Gossy- 

 pium of the interior produces no fibre, worth collecting. 

 Cotton-plants have a predilection for gently undulating or 

 sloping ground, with light soil and a moderate supply of 



