COTTON CULTIVATION IN ITALY. 83 



cotton has an extremely low value from the entire deficiency of roads, 

 as well as for the want of general improvement. 



The cultivation of cotton in Italy is very general, and carried on 

 with considerable intelligence. 



In quality, Italian cotton may rival that of America, as may be 

 seen by the " Eeport on the samples of Cotton in the International 

 Exhibition, made on behalf of the Manchester Cotton Supply Associa- 

 tion, by one of their members," where full details are given as to 

 the estimation in which the Italian cotton is held, being often 

 superior in value to middling New Orleans. 



South Carolina used to produce about half a million bales of cotton, 

 with a population of 750,000 inhabitants. The agricultural population 

 is very abundant in Italy, and the wages low. The population of the 

 Italian cotton districts is not less than 10,000,000. That of the provinces 

 of Terra di Otranto, Basilicata, and Calabria, on the Ionian sea, perhaps 

 the best adapted to an immediate extensive development of cotton culti- 

 vation, is alone upwards of 2,000,000. 



Almost all these cotton districts will soon be traversed by railways. 

 One of these railways, passing through the provinces of Terra di Lavoro, 

 Naples, and Principato Citeriore, along the shores of the Tyrrhenian sea, 

 will be entirely thrown open in the course of a few months, and the sec- 

 tion from Ancona to Foggia, on the Brindisi line, will be terminated 

 within a year. 



The greater part of the available land to become fit for growing cotton 

 requires drainage and irrigation. 



It residts from the foregoing considerations that we have within a few 

 days sail from Manchester, a country in which the following elements 

 exist : — 



1st. A vast extent of land, at a low rent, suited to the growth of 

 cotton. 



2nd. An abundant population already accustomed to this branch of 

 agriculture. 



3rd. Good species of cotton already acclimatised. 



Add to this that there is a free and liberal government desirous 

 by every means in its power to promote the industry and welfare of the 

 country. 



Leaving the United States out of the question, there is no country 

 except India, which could give such a large supply of cotton as Italy, 

 but there is this most important difference between them ; in India, any 

 change is introduced with great difficulty, and there is plenty of room 

 for improvement in the quality of Indian cotton, while in Italy it is 

 merely a question of developing an existing cultivation established on 

 good principles. 



The consumption of cotton increases so rapidly in our days, that, 

 even after the American crisis is over, it will doubtless be grown with 

 success in many countries. 



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