REMARKS ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OR COTTON. 181 
rounding habitations. The cotton makes a very fine muslin, 
which is manufactured into turbans, and permitted to be worn 
only by the privileged religious classes of India. 
3. Gossyjpium bcorbadense (fig. 1). — This is called the Barba- 
does or Bourbon cotton, but does not appear to have been 
originally a native of the New World. It is a perennial plant, 
and has a shrubby stem from six to fifteen feet in height. The 
leaves are lobed Like those of the other species, and are often 
covered with short hairs on the under surface. The flowers are 
yellow, like those of Gossyjpium herbaceurn, and have a dark spot 
at the base of each petal. The fruit is capsular, and contains in 
its interior from eight to twelve black seeds, which are not 
covered with any down hke those of the two preceding species. 
Although other names have been given to the plant which pro- 
duces the long Sea-Island, or long staple cotton of America, 
there is no doubt that this plant is the original of this 
valuable form of cotton. It was introduced into Georgia by 
seed brought from the Bahama Islands, where it had been 
grown from seed obtained in the West Indies. In the small 
American islands which fringe the coast of Georgia, from 
Charleston to Savannah, this plant has produced the celebrated 
Sea-Island cotton, which is unrivalled for the length of its 
staple, its strength, and silkiness (fig. 14). Its excellence for 
manufacturing purposes may be judged of by the fact that its 
price has varied from fifteen pence, at this time last year, to 
three shillings a pound at the present time, whilst other cottons 
have varied from five pence last year to about thirteen pence 
a pound at the present time. 
The cotton which is of such excellent quality on the islands 
and swampy coasts of Georgia, is inferior when cultivated in 
the cooler and drier climates of the hill country of that state. 
The cotton produced in those districts is short in staple, and the 
seeds, instead of being black, are green. This fact shows how 
great is the influence of external circumstance on the successful 
growth of the cotton-plant. The cotton from the hills of 
Georgia is known in the markets by the name of Upland or 
Bowed cotton. This latter term is applied to it on account 
of the way in which it is prepared for the market. The wool 
is separated from the seeds by means of a bow with several 
loose strings, which is struck upon the cotton, and the vibra- 
tions produced separate the cotton from the seed. The price 
of Bowed cotton was last year at this time, at Liverpool, seven 
pence a pound ; at the present moment it is worth a shilling 
a pound. 
Under the name of Gossyjpium hirsutum, Dr. Royle and other 
botanists describe a species, which, although it has characters 
that would claim for it such a position, is, nevertheless, open to 
the suspicion of being a variety. It is in fact the plant 
