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HOCKIXGs' GARDEN MANUAL. 



three advantages over the former : — It is said to be 

 more umbrageous, by which the growth of weeds is 

 checked and labor saved ; to produce a much larger 

 crop, by which it compensates to a considerable extent 

 for the difference in price ; and to ripen the crop more 

 uniformly, by which it requires picking less frequently, 

 to the great saving of labor. 



The Queensland farmer has fairly tested cotton as a 

 crop, and much valuable knowledge has been gained as 

 to the nature and habits of the plants, the varieties 

 Dest suited for the climate and soil, and the probable 

 returns ; and, at the present cost of labor, it cannot be 

 made to pay. 



In addition to the cotton fibre, there are two other 

 products of the cotton plant at present almost always 

 wasted, but which are capable of being utilized, namely, 

 the seed, and the fibre obtainable from the bark of the 

 plant. Dr. Coxe, of New Orleans, states that "an 

 increased value of more than £7,600,000 sterling might 

 be given to the cotton crop of the United States by 

 utilizing the cotton seed, which is now almost wholly 

 w T asted." He says — " 100 lbs. of cotton seed will yield 

 two gallons of oil, equal to that of Italy termed 8 salad 

 oil' — and it sells in New Orleans at four shillings per 

 gallon (in New York, six shillings per gallon) ; 48 lbs. 

 of oil-cake (equal or superior to linseed-cake), and fij 

 lbs. of soap stock, which, with ingredients of small value, 

 will make 20 lbs. of soap, equal to the best European 

 kinds," 



The stalk of the cotton plant contains a fibre not 

 unlike coarse flax, and an experiment in America upon 

 120 lbs. of stalk resulted in producing, when steeped 

 and dressed with flax machinery, forty pounds of thread 

 suitable for weaving bagging and other coarse cloth. 

 If the stalk were properly macerated, it could, doubt- 

 less, be made into paper. 



Ridge planting : Where the land is flat, the practice 

 of throwing it up into high ridges or beds, and sowing 



