58 
MASTODON COTTON.-NO. 1. 
and the pubis; in common language we have no 
names for these parts; the points of the ilium are 
prominent, and are called the hips. 
v v, the thigh bones of each leg; called also 
round bones. 
w , the stifle joint, with the stifle bone, which is 
similar to the knee pan in man. On to the stifle 
bone are attached some of the tendons of very pow- 
erful muscles. The stifle joint is the union of the 
thigh bone with the leg, or lower thigh bone ; and 
the union is made very strong by ligaments. 
y y? leg bones; called lower or second thigh 
bones ; behind is a small bone called the splinter- 
bone. 
z z, the hock, composed of six bones; the pro¬ 
minent bone is - called the point of the hock. These 
bones are like those of the knee, and are in a simi¬ 
lar way bound together. 
a' a', cannon or shank bones of the hind legs. 
b' b', pasterns and feet of hind legs, same as in 
the front leg. 
MASTODON COTTON.—No. 1. 
The introduction of this variety of cotton into 
the United States forms a new era in their history, 
and has excited great attention in all the cotton¬ 
growing districts. The chief topics of inquiry or 
examination to which I propose to direct your 
readers, are as follows : — 
Where did the seed come from? —This is not 
known with certainty, and perh.aps never will be. 
In 1842 a gentleman who is not known to the 
writer, and who had recently been in Mexico and 
California, left three seeds in rather a careless man¬ 
ner in this place, with one of my neighbors. The 
circumstance became known to me, and I carefully 
preserved a portion of their product. From this 
beginning has grown the “ Mastodon Cotton” in 
the United States. Not all that is called by that 
name, but all that is genuine. I might here remark 
that for many years I had been endeavoring to ob¬ 
tain a better seed than is usually cultivated. I had 
taken much pains to procure and try all new seed I 
could hear of. I had also spent much time and 
some expense in crossing, mixing, and proving 
different kinds of seed ; and I had then several dif¬ 
ferent kinds of cotton seed which I had petted a 
good deal, but have thrown them all away. The 
name “ Mastodon f v T as given it by the writer in con¬ 
sequence of the size of the bolls and stalk. 
What are the peculiar properties of the plant and 
cotton ? —The plant when young is stouter and more 
thrifty in its early growth, the leaf is thicker and 
the stalk larger. As the plant grows, the stalk be¬ 
comes very large and the branches very long, with 
short joints. The foliage is of a somewhat darker 
reen than the common Mexican cotton, and the 
olf nearly thrice the size, with thicker rind. The 
cotton, when open, adheres in the boll with sufficient 
strength to entirely prevent its falling out in the 
field. 
The character and value of the cotton when pre¬ 
pared for market is of much importance. The 
first that was exhibited in the market in New Or¬ 
leans sold in December, 1845, at 16 cents per pound, 
and afterwards, as I understood, in Liverpool at 9d. 
My private commercial information from Liverpool, 
on the subject, places it, when well ginned on saw 
gins, in the usual way, above all other cottons ex¬ 
cept the higher grades of Sea Island. No attempt 
has been made that is known to the writer, to gin 
it in any better mode than on common saw gins 
somewhat modified. It is confidently believed, how¬ 
ever, that if it could be ginned without materially 
injuring the staple, it would rank with the best Sea 
Island cotton. Its staple is from three quarters of 
an inch to two inches and a half in length. Cotton 
brokers and merchants speak of it as being remark¬ 
ably fine and silky. 
I ought to have remarked above, that the product 
of the Mastodon, especially on dry, thin, or sandy, 
soil, is supposed to be greater than that of the com¬ 
mon Mexican cotton. 
How, and on vohat hind of land 'is it cultivated ? 
It has been cultivated the present year on all kinds 
of cotton land in the wfliole South. The season 
having been so extremely disastrous, on account of 
the wet weather and the famous cotton worm, that 
it has been extremely difficult to make any calcu¬ 
lation or estimate upon it; yet it is believed, from 
experience formerly as well as the present year, 
that thin, dry land suits it best, comparatively. 
In cultivating the Mastodon cotton care should 
be taken, on rich land, to make and keep the ridge 
high, otherwise it may continue to grow too long 
in the season. There should be a less quantity of 
plants on a given quantity of land, by about one- 
fifth ; and on rich land, or in wet seasons, it should 
be topped about the last of. July. By topping I 
mean to break out the bud of the main stalk in the 
centre. 
How is it ginned ?—As has already been intimat¬ 
ed, it has never been ginned without material injury, 
so far as I know. The saw gins only have been 
used, and these greatly injure the staple. The cot¬ 
ton adheres so closely to the seed that it is thought 
to be impracticable, or at least extremely difficult, 
to gin it on the rollers used in ginning the Sea Island 
cotton, though it is understood that efforts are now 
making to effect this purpose. If that or some simi¬ 
lar process could be adopted, for separating the 
cotton from the seed, it is believed it would enhance 
its value fifty or a hundred per cent. If the saw 
gins are used, however, they should be of the very 
best kind. The grates should be an inch wide, the 
teeth very fine, the cylinder should have a very slow 
motion, and the brush great rapidity. R. Abbey. 
Yazoo, Miss., Dec. 3d, 1846. 
Application and Good Effects of Guano.— 
Rev. Ansel Downs, of Baiting Hollow, Long Island, 
speaks in high terms of his success in the applica¬ 
tion of guano in the culture of Indian ‘torn. In 
every case where he applied it in the hill or other¬ 
wise, the result was a double quantity of produce. 
He thinks that when the guano is used in an un¬ 
adulterated state at the time of planting, it should 
not be applied directly under the seed, but at a dis¬ 
tance of two or three inches one side ; for when 
the roots of the corn come in contact with the 
guano, the plant seems to droop, turn yellow, and 
in some instances die. This mode appears to be in 
perfect accordance with that practised by the Peru¬ 
vians. 
