COTTOX-WOOL. 



387 



Appendix. 



Remarks on the Culture of Cotton and on its different 

 Species. 



Cotton seems to thrive best in warm low grounds : too 

 much rain is hurtful to it, not only because excess of ve- 

 getation prevents the tree from producing so great a 

 number of pods, but also from the injury sustained by the 

 wool from the wet. 



Although, in general, the cotton-trees of this colony 

 have never been further from the sea-shore than a league 

 or a league and a quarter, this preference is not to be 

 attributed to the vicinity of the sea, but rather to the 

 difference of climate and temperature of which I have 

 spoken, and which varies according to the degree of 

 elevation. Besides, observation upon plants prove suffi- 

 ciently, that they have all a region which suits them best, 

 and that many produce nothing out of their own climate. 

 For example, cotton-trees have never been cultivated from 

 the river Diesmal to the river Dabood, going from west 

 to east and from east to south-east, because in all this part 

 the rains are too frequent. Strong grounds suit cotton 

 pretty well, and it succeeds tolerably well also on sloping 

 grounds. Flat, free, and too rich soils, particularly those 

 which retain humidity, have been found little suited to 

 this culture. The shrub flourishes luxuriantly, the leaves 

 and pods become formed, the former are large and of a 

 dark green, but the tree produces little fruit. These ob- 

 servations are often made at Bourbon where the nature of 

 the soil is much varied. 



Sandy mixed grounds of vegetable earths are very 

 proper for the culture of cotton : it thrives there admira- 

 bly, supports droughts easily and lives to a great age, 

 although harassed by the axe, storms, and bad weeds. 



2 c 2 One 



