THE SEA ISLAND COTTON IS PERENNIAL. 
207 
which are annual will become perennial, 
and be cultivated for three, or four, 
or even five years; but that is. not the 
general practice. In India the seed is 
sown, the plant, grows up, the cotton is 
taken from it, and it perishes within the 
year. The greater part of the American 
cotton is annual ; that of the Sea island is 
perennial. The Upland or termed Georgia 
short stapled cotton has been improved by 
continually changing the seed, using fresh 
seed every year. The plant degenerates 
after one year’s growth. The growth of the 
United States is confined to two qualities : 
Sea island and Santa, or long stapled 
growths. All the rest are short stapled, 
and denominated Upland. The Santa, as 
well as the Sea island, are superior to all 
other gro-v^ths. The cotton of Brazil is 
superior to short stapled American cotton 
generally, but not superior to Santa or Sea 
island. India cotton, being short Sta- 
pled, is governed in price by the Ameri- 
can growths of short stapled cotton ; and 
the prices of India generally bear a pro- 
portion of two-thirds of the value of Ame- 
rican. When the latter sells at six pence 
per pound, Indian cotton has been at three 
pence to four pence half-penny per pound ; 
when American cotton sells for ten pence 
to one shilling per pound ; when American 
has been eighteen pence to twenty-one 
pence per pound, India has sold for twelve 
pence to fifteen pence per pound. The 
great inferiority of price of the Indian 
cotton is owing to its being shorter in 
staple and having more dirt and waste in 
being manufactured. Indian cotton is consi- 
derably shorter in staple than the short 
stapled American cotton: it is inferior 
generally both in regard to staple and re- 
quires more labour to clean it. Indian cot- 
ton in Europe at3 pence per pound, with any 
sort of cleaning, affords a profit supe- 
rior to the cotton at 6 pence per pound 
which is already cleaned. Spinners say 
that they would rather have cotton from 
India and clean it in Europe, than have it 
tampered with in the cleaning ; either from 
their ignorance, or some circumstance, the 
fibre of the cotton has become injured in 
the cleaning. Nothing equals the screwing 
of Indian cotton. The violent application 
of the screw does not injure the fibre of the 
cotton, it expels the external air ; and cotton 
will keep with all its qualities for very 
many years. It is necessary to clean it 
in all cases previous to its manufacture. 
The best species of Egyptian cotton is su- 
perior to every description of cotton 
that is grown except the Sea island and 
long staple American cotton ; and cotton 
dealers in Europe are now receiving from 
Egypt an improved culture from Sea island 
seed, which is greatly appreciated by manu- 
facturers and promises to rival the growth 
of the Santa cotton. The finest Indian 
muslins are made from the common cotton 
of the country, the short staple cotton grov/n 
in Bengal. The whole of the manufacture 
being by hand spinning, there is a greater 
tension from the moisture which the hand 
gives them, than can be had from anything 
in the shape of machinery ; a fine yarn can 
be produced by hand spinning from a short 
staple which from spinning will not touch- 
at all. The thread of muslin is spun by the 
hand in India. In America cotton undergoes 
great improvement in respect of cleaning. 
The Brazilians have fallen off in the cotton. 
Imperfection in the mode of cleaning very 
materially affects the value of cotton ; the 
least particle of dirt or dust in cotton is sure 
to break down the thread. It is possible to 
clean cotton as perfectly after it has been 
imported in Europe and packed a number 
of months, as it is at the time it is first 
taken from the ground. The cotton is not 
injured from the presence of dirt, nor by 
confinement on board ship ; cotton has been 
kept for twenty years and then worked re- 
markably well. The inferiority of the In- 
dian seed is known by stripping it of the 
husk ; pressing the thumb upon it breaks it 
like dirt. The Kidney, the Brazilian seed 
stripped and pressed, oil appears, which 
shews its superior strength. The Pernam- 
buco is the strongest, and produces the 
fullest quantity and quality of all seeds. 
Cayenne and Surinam are also very good, and 
contain oil. The Brazilian seed, consider- 
ing quantity and quality, and treating it with 
attention in the East Indies, would prove 
superior to some and equal to any but the 
Sea island, which is grown from Persian 
seed taken from the Bahama islands. It 
