COTTON- WOOL. 



385 



REMARKS 



ON THE 



CULTURE OF COTTON 



At the ISLAND of BOURBON. 



Extract Bombay Commercial Consultations, Ibth October 



1811. 



The cultivation of this valuable plant in this colony is 

 of recent date, and has only been followed since the years 

 1788 and 1789. Unfortunately various causes soon de- 

 prived us of a branch of commerce, of which the greatest 

 hopes were entertained, and of which the success was to 

 carry the prosperity of Bourbon to the highest pitch. 



The great returns of the cotton-trees were of short 

 duration. Towards the year 1796 the plant began to 

 degenerate, and a greater quantity of cotton was produced 

 of a yellow than a white colour. This was at first attri- 

 buted to a want of rain, and afterwards to the impove- 

 rishment of the soil. But observations and experience 

 have since shewn, that the cotton, shortly after flowering, 

 was pierced by an insect which deposited its eggs in it ; 

 for in the yellow cotton a blemish is constantly found, 

 apparently caused by the animal, which alters the colour 

 of the wool, and occasions its appearance before the time 

 required by the nature of the plant. 



At present this culture is little attended to, and is 

 almost given up in the districts where it succeeds best. 

 In those where it is still followed the returns are very 

 «mall, owing to the great quantity of yellow cotton, v;}iicli 

 •it is necessary to separate carefully from the white, there- 

 by increasing the work and trouble. 



To render an exact statement of what regards the cul- 

 ture of cotton, it is necessary to consider the topographical 

 v' 2 c situation 



