THE TECHNOLOGIST. [Aug. 1, 1805. 
42 ITALIAN EXHIBITS AT 
"The cotton begins to ripen in September, and on account of the 
frequency of the rains is not entirely gathered in before January. The 
cost of gathering is 2s. per cwt. 
" Irrigation has not hitherto been practised at Pachino, from the 
want of perennial springs, though now the Marquis Rudinihaa canalized 
the little liver Handed, and brought the water into his estate of 
Bimesca, so that he will in future be able to irrigate a large extent of 
land. 
" The produce of raw cotton per acre in 1864, following the plan 
just described was about 175 lbs. 
" Ginning is usually performed at Pachino by the use of a rough, 
wooden apparatus, introduced by the Maltese colonists. As it naturally 
crushes many of the seeds, thus injuring the cotton, the proprietor has 
purchased improved ginning machinery, manufactured by Dobson 
and Barlow, Durand, and Piatt and Co. 
"Formerly, the ground now planted with cotton was sown with 
corn, grass, and leguminous plants ; but although admirably adapted 
for this kind of cultivation, cotton, at the present prices, is far more 
profitable. 
" Last year the plants suffered very considerably from the ravages of 
an insect which in some districts entirely destroyed the crop. "Various 
plans were resorted to in order to exterminate them. The plants were 
sprinkled with quicklime, sulphur, and tobacco, but to no effect, the 
insect being in no way injured, but continuing its ravages as before. 
"Having ascertained that Louisiana cotton is the variety best 
adapted for the climate and soil at Pachino, the exhibitor obtained a 
quantity of seed last spring from the government, but this being old 
and bad did not germinate. Other seeds, furnished from the Royal 
Industrial Museum at Turin, by Commander Devincenzi, President of 
the Royal Commission for the Cultivation of Cotton, came up, but 
unfortunately the plants were couplet ely devoured by the insect spoken 
of above." 
The Royal Industrial Museum send a fine collection of samples of 
Italian cotton, exhibited at the first cotton exhibition held at the 
Museum in Turin, in 1864. Professor Tornabene, Director of the 
Botanical Gardens, Catania, has sent a beautiful collection of 157' 
different samples of cotton grown in 1864, in his gardens, each labelled. 
Pods and dry plants, together with a specification of the country from 
which the seeds were obtained, the botanical names and synonyms. 
The exhibits of silk and co:oons are not large, but they are in- 
teresting. Dr. Giovanni Pisani sends the following account of the silk 
manufacture of the province of Milan : — 
" Milan, besides holding incontestably the first rank among the cities 
of Italy for its silk trade, contains within its walls numerous important 
commercial houses, which likewise reel and spin the silk they sell. The 
province of Milan is, moreover, one of the first for the production of 
