July i, 1891.] fHF Tf?OPIGAL AGRlOULTURISt. 77 
which the prii sts declared to Herodotug to be 
emerild, weie a gigantic imposture; but it is not 
unlikely that the historian aeceived himself. Of 
jewellers' frauds, the cnief was ihe making of a 
"doublet," a ^.aste backed with a real stone of 
greater hardness, but poor colour. The two materials 
were joined by an invisible cement, the line of 
junction at the girdle of the gem being concealed 
by the mounting. The alteration and accentuation 
of the colour of natural stones, particularly of the 
onyx, by means of various chemicals, is a com- 
paratively recent invention ; but the ancients were 
adepts in the art of changing the original hue 
by means of strong heat. 
Professor Middleton devotes much space to another 
clasa of fraud, tha modern imitations of ancient 
gems, imitations sometimes so clever that they 
puzzle even the expert. Again and again we 
find mention of specimens which it is necessary to 
leave doubtful. One curious sub-variety of this 
suLijeot relates to the Iraudulant signatures. It 
is obvious that a signed gem has a special intere:<t. 
Honce many gems really ancient have had false 
signatures added to them. Here, again, experts 
are sometimes at a loss. The famous Carlisle 
" Mercury" is quoted as a case in point. It bears 
the name of Dioskourides, and, whether ancient 
or modern, it is a fine work of art. Unhappily, 
it ouce belonged to Baron Stosoh, who was in 
the matter of gems much the same as the notorious 
Simjnides was in the matt-r of manuscripts. 
Professor Middleton completes a singularly in- 
teresting book by a descriptive catalogue of the 
engraved gems in the Fiizwilliam Museum, 
illustrated by two plates giving autotype repco- 
Ouc lions of some of the principal Soman gems. — 
Spectat07\ 
«> 
THE SPREAD OF COTTON CULTIVATION- 
IN INDIA, EGYPT, CBYIiON, AFRICA, &c. 
It is a very significant fact that, in spite of the 
gloomy prognostications shadowed forth in cotton 
circulars and the pessimistic views enunciated by 
spinners all over the w >rld, the spread of cotton 
cultivation ooniinues. The enormous American crop 
this year, which is expected to touch close upon 9 
million bales, is held accountable for the stagnation 
in prices; but a theory has been advanced that the 
large outturn will have so exhausted the soil that 
the crop next year will be a very small one. How 
far this idea will prove true time alone can show, 
though most people, we suspect, will not put much 
faith in it. It is not so very many years ago that 
an American crop of one million bales was considered 
abnormal, whereas now it has increased seven, eight 
and nine fold. Tae same rapid advance in ouUurn 
is appareut in Egyptian end East Indian cotton, 
and yet the supply is yearly taken up, and the 
cry for more continues. Quility has certainly failed 
oft, to some extent, to make up for quantity, and 
this may be regarded much more as the true reason 
of the decline in prices than excessive production. * 
This hypothesis seems to be borne out by the eilorts 
made to discover fresh fields for cotton cultivation 
and by the attempts to improve the outturn on 
existing cotton land. The development of the 
Egyptian cotton trade is progressing apace and in 
spite of the opposition olJered by the French the 
opening up of the country by railways is proceeding 
rapidly. An arrangement has been entered into 
between the Sui z '..anal '..'ompany and the Egyptian 
Gover nmen t for the construction of a light narrow 
* The Hdulteratioa of Indian ootion wiih dirt 
and by the raixiure of inferior with superior kinds 
has greatly discredited the pi-oduct.— Ed, T. A. 
gauge railway from Ismailiato Port Said to be worked 
exclusively by the former ; and the question of settl- 
ing the constru tion of a line between Port Said 
and the Damietta branch of the Nile is under 
discussion, and will no doubt be rapidly pushed 
through. As such a line would tap one of the 
principal cotton centres it is only reasonable to 
suppose that a stimulus will be given to the trade 
and that this will result in an increased area being 
cultivated 
More ground is being planted with cotton in India 
year by year ; and that the business should continue 
to flourish in spite of the serious charges of adulter- 
ation proved against the sellers, is sufBcient evi- 
dence that, thus far at least, it has not been overdone. 
Ceylon has of late years been endeavouring to grow 
cotton, but until Captain Gwatkin, a planter, took 
to its cultivation and p. eparation in a careful manner 
the experiment did not meet with much success. 
His original idea in planting cotton bushes was that 
they should act as a shelter for cocoa plants, but 
it is expected that he will, in common with other 
planters, now go in for the cultivation more for its 
own sake. Most of his cotton was grown from New 
Orleans seed, and about 2U0 acres were sown with 
it. It was sown in September last, and picked in 
February- The yield was not very large, being 
only about 85 lb. of seed cotton per acre, or say 
about 30 lb. of cleaned cotton ; but as a second 
picking, and even possibly a third is expected 
the outturn will compare very favourably with the 
average yield in India, The cotton was cleaned 
by steam, in Macarthy gins, which Captain Gwatkin 
obtained for the purpose and personally supervised. 
The seed is reauily bought in the District at Es. 3 
per cwt, and the whole of the cotton was taken 
eagerly by the Colombo Spinning Mills. It is said 
to be beautifully white and free from stain, with 
a long and silky staple. As it grows rapidly and 
gives a quick return, a ready market being always 
obtainable, the industry of cotton growing in 
Ceylon, especially as it can be grown as a sub- 
sidiary and " shade " crop, is likely to make rapid 
progress. But the extension the cotton cultivation 
is by no means confined to India, Egypt and 
Ceylon. One of the principal sources of revenue 
that the British East Africa Company counts upon 
is cotton. The country is said in parts to be 
eminently adapted to its cultivation, and an in- 
digenous wild variety already exists in considerable 
quantities. It is estimated that by the introduction 
of imported seed, for which the conditions are 
favourable, a valuable and superior kind of cotton 
can be produced. Land and labour are cheap 
and plentiful and the difficulty in the matter 
of transport will speedily be rectified. Turkey and 
Greece are also both extending their cotton 
cultivation, and half the cotton uaed by the local 
mills in the latter country is locally produced. 
The glowing reports lately published as to the 
suitability of the soil in Central Asia are also 
bearing fruit, and Russia is determined to make 
the most of her occupation of that country. 
M. Gougon, a Russian of high official position, 
went to America last year and, with the approval 
of the Czar, bought a cotton plantation in Louisiana, 
in order to make a praolical study of cotton 
growing. Having mastered the business in all its 
details he has now gone to Central Asia to 
inaugurate the cultivation of cotton there on the 
most approved principles. He asserts that the choicest 
qualitiea can be grown at prices which will drive 
American cotton out of the markets of Europe ! How 
far he has permitted his enthusiasm to out- 
weigh his experience a few years will show. 
There is, however, no doubt that if equally good 
cotton can be grown in Central Asia a very severe 
