GOSSYPIUM  HERBACEUM. 
403 
vantages  over  the  old  for  general  use.  The  bags  or  bales  are 
usually  about  5  by  3  by  2  J  feet  in  dimensions,  which,  at  the  port 
of  shipment,  are  compressed  by  powerful  steam  machinery  into 
less  than  half  their  former  size,  for  economy  in  freighting  over 
the  ocean.  The  standard  bale  of  cotton,  in  estimating  crops,  is 
taken  at  400ft)S.,  so  that  a  plantation  sending  to  market  800 
bales,  weighing  an  average  of  5001bs  each,  is  usually  said  to  have 
made  a  thousand  bags  of  cotton. 
The  Sea  Island  cotton  differs  from  the  Georgia  Uplands  in  the 
much  greater  length  of  its  staple,  and  hence  is  often  called  the 
long  staple  cotton.  It  is  also  softer  and  more  silky  to  the  touch, 
and  possesses  a  richer  creamy  lustre.  The  characters  of  the  seed 
distinguish  the  two  readily  ;  that  of  the  former  being  black, 
rather  glossy,  though  not  decidedly  so  unless  rubbed,  when  they 
readily  take  a  polish ;  the  lint  does  not  adhere  to  the  seed.  In 
the  Uplands,  the  seed  has  a  dirty  green  color  in  mass,  arising 
from  the  short  fuzzy  down  which  adheres  very  strongly  to  the 
surface.  When  this  is  removed,  the  dark  chestnut  brown  capsule 
is  seen  enclosing  the  seed.  The  lint  here  adheres  to  the  seed, 
and  is  broken  loose  in  the  ginning,  often  leaving  short  portions 
attached  to  it. 
The  long  staple  or  Sea  Island,  as  its  name  indicates,  was 
formerly  cultivated  only  in  the  islands  and  adjacent  sea  coast, 
but  it  is  now  successfully  grown  throughout  the  interior  of  Florida 
and  along  the  Southern  borders  of  Georgia,  Alabama,  Missis- 
sippi, Louisiana  and  Texas.  The  roller  gin  used  in  preparing 
this  variety  for  market,  consists  essentially  of  two  cylindrical 
wooden  rollers,  revolving  in  opposite  directions  on  each  other, 
catching  the  lint  between  their  adjacent  surfaces  and  drawing  it 
away  from  the  seed,  without  danger  of  crushing  the  latter,  so 
slightly  is  the  lint  attached. 
This  variety  of  cotton  yields  much  less  abundantly  than  the 
former,  and  is  more  difficult  of  cultivation  and  preparation  for 
market;  hence  commands  a  price  proportionably  higher,  some- 
times even  five  times  that  of  the  ordinary.  In  consequence  of 
its  greater  length  of  staple,  it  spins  a  very  strong  thread,  and 
one  which  may  be  drawn  out  to  a  much  greater  degree  than  the 
shorter  fibre.  This  property  admirably  fits  it  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  sewing  threads,  and  for  the  beautifully  attenuated  gossa- 
