The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-30 00:00:00

711 E PERENNIAL COTTON TREE OF

PERU.

(From the London American of this day.)
It may appear anomalous to many that while we
profess to be an unswerving advocate of American
interests we should say anything to deprecate the
products of the United States. Let it be remem-
bered, however, that although oar columns are
almost exclusively devoted to such affairs as are
udinrietcetdlysotratreeslatively important to the people of the
polies, no matterlve oafr decidedlyewhat origin. o p
Tp ohsee
cdutlot
iavlal
tmi
oonn
of
f-
mt h
oe n
ocotton,
ipsoplant
puemeTnhadhyeea
dsfbeetwahlcemho
unomnss itaddnreeeurndfe
tadtichr t
eaoulnuyr
se
arupon
Americanpdoofbn bales,
hltehaset,
article
Southern
eds e.
more or less, contributed by India—the little more
than specimens received from Jamaica,San Domingo,
Africa, Southern and Central America can by no
means be considered in the light of competition.
For all the effect that the cotton of these countries
has had upon the market, thus far the rebel States
may still consider themselves without a rival. Had
their greed of gain, and lust for power and dominion
been commensurate with a moderate knowledge
of the world outside, they might still have con-
tinued for an almost indefinite period in undis-
turbed possession of this rich field of industry.
Now their downfall is certain. Necessity,
will accomplish what principle has too long neg-
lected—Lancashire will depend no longer upon
South Carolina, nor Lyons upon Louisiana, nor
Lowell upon Alabama. The capacities of British
India will be carefully consulted, the rich soil a
Honduras will be anxiously questioned; San
Domingo will be inquired after, and Jamaica will
respond to her fullest extent. These are fields
whose possibilities for cotton growing are not by
any means novel. The first two, properly looked
after, might supply the world ; the others with
several portions of Africa and Australia will
doubtless become valuable auxiliaries.

Our purpose at this time is not to extol any one
of them, but to call attention to a species of cotton
which is just now exciting a good deal of attention
in the United States—a cotton tree which may be
grown in any climate where Indian corn will ma-
ture. It is known botanically as the Gossypium
Arboreunz, is a perennial, and was brought from
Peru by Mr. Kendall, a native of Maryland. Mr.
Kendall found it growing wild in the cold,
rough mountainous districts, as well as in the sultry
lowlands of that country, and, upon his return to
the United States, he transported a number of the
plants. The experiment inaugurated by him has pro-
duced the most satisfactory results. His cotton
trees thrive as well on his farm in Maryland as
do the annual plants in Georgia and Mississippi.
A few evenings ago Mr. Kendall delivered a lec-
ture before a scientific audience in New York,
upon his Peruvian cotton tree. He gives an in-
teresting account of his valuable discovery :
" Several years ago, while an employe in the Paten)
Office," says Mr. Kendall, "I received and accepted a tempt-
ing offer from a Chilian gentleman of wealth, Senor Also-
gara, to conduct certain matters on his estates. One holiday
morning not very long after my arrival at my temporary
South American home, I set out on horseback along the
Course of a modest little river called the Chipura, and
forming the boundary between semi-civilisation and the
territory of the Ypurian savages. Resolved to explore as
much of my patron's domain as the brief May day would
allow, I pushed briskly forward over the already frozen
ground, covered fetlock deep with newly fallen snow, fol-
lowing the windings of the stream, whose ledgy banks of
dark rock generally thrust back, as it were, by alluvial bot-
toms from one to Vireo hundred yards distant, indicating
that the Chipura had one day been a river of ten times its
present volume. After a ride of some two hours, in
doubling en abrupt turn where the rocks approached
very near the water, I came suddenly into full view
of an object some 200 yards distant, which presented the
most magnificent spectacle I had ever seen—a perfect cone
or pyramid of pure, brilliant snow, elevated at its base per-
haps seven feet from the ground, upon a shaft of whitish
bronze ; the whole structure cut clear and sharp against the
dark wall of rock in the back ground. I had in northern
countries, after a calm fall of snow, seen many a white
pyramid, having an internal structure of pine or spruce,
but knowing that in the present instance the snow had
fallen during a violent gale, and observing that none of the
pines about me bore any traces of it,upon their branches,
I rode forward in semi-bewilderment to investigate the
phenomenon. _ _ _

" It resolved itself, as I drew near, in a most perfect speci-
men of the Gossypium Arboreum, the perennial cotton tree.
Its foliage had long been shed, but the pods remained,
having fully burst, and turned out their spotless samples in
almost perfect roses, covering the entire structure with a
dense mass of spotless, glossy cotton. I had often seen
and examined indifferent specimens of the perennial cotton
shrub, but I had never seen anything even approaching in
perfection that solitary tree.
" The remainder of that, and many a saint day there-
after, was devoted to intimate companionship with, and
diligent study of the habits, peculiarities, and general
economy of the beautiful solitaire of the Chipura.
"In its native condition, and in the higher
southern latitudes, the average size and altitude of
the Gossypium Arboreuns equal the medium peach
tree of North America—say eight inches in diameter
at two feet from the ground, and in height twenty
feet ; in its general structure more nearly resembling
the white mulberry than any other tree with which I am
familiar. The leaves are abundant, distinctly denticulated,
and of a glossy, silvery green. Flowers profuse, very
double, varigated, and in size about a third smaller than
the perfected hollyhock, tho tree when in full bloom pre-
senting one of the most beautiful effects imaginable. The
bolls at maturity are twice the size of those borne by the
herbaceous plant, and wherever it approached the colder
regions, I found the fiber finer and the length of the staple
increased.

" The perennial cotton tree is propagated from seed, or
more readily from cuttings simply thrust into the ground,
and possesses this peculiar advantage in any country over
the herbaceous plant. It may be planted oat as an apple,
peach, or pear orchard, and the field cropped with any of
the cereals, until the tree, having reached its maximum
standard, should entirely occupy the land. It bears cutting
as kindly as any known tree, and in field culture may always
be kept so pruned that its produce shall be within reach of
the hand."

Mr. Kendall reports that he has seen one tree
capable of producing not less than one hundred
pounds, and in relation to its adaptability to
Northern latitudes, says :

" Two-thirds of the present free States of the Union
possess the requisite of soil—several of them in an
eminent degree ; and there is no well-founded
reason why they should not afford an unlimited
supply of cotton, equalling in quality the best south-
ern staple, and at a clear profit to the producer of fifty per
cent. above the average proceeds from the usual farm crops ;
and that, too, without materially lessening the breadth of
land now devoted to grass and grain, or seriously inter-
ferinc, with the routine of farm economy as at present con-
ducted."

This discovery is likely to be of immense
advantage to the world at the present time. If
only a fair percentage of all that is claimed for
it proves true it will not only do much to
make cotton more abundant, but cheaper. It
is stated that two thousand pounds may be pro-
duced on an acre of land, while five hundred
pounds from the herbaceous plant is considred
a large yield. The fibre even when produced—as
it generally is in Peru without care or culture—is
declared to be superior to that of the best upland
staple of the rebel States.

HEALTH OF LONDON .DURING THE WEEK.

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly _Return.)

The deaths iu London declined to 1,065 in the
week that ended October 19 ; they increased but
very slightly in the week ending last Saturday,
when the number was 1,087. Scarlatina is frequent
at the present time, and fatal cases of it are nume-
rous among children ; but generally the population
appears to be in good health, and the mortality from
all causes is considerably below the average.
The deaths from scarlatina rose last week to 96,
those from diphtheria were 11; while the corrected
average for corresponding weeks is 86 for the two
diseases together. There were 10 from scarlatina
in Chelsea, 4 in the sub-district of Mayfair, 8 in
Islington, 9 in the two Waterloo-road sub-districts
of Lambeth, but only one in the whole of the re-
maining portion of that district, which comprises
Lambeth, Kennington, Brixton, and Norwood. No
fatal cases of scarlatina were returned in Clerken-
well, Shoreditch, Newington, Clapham, Battersea,
Wandsworth, or Camberwell. There were 7in
Pancras, lin Marylebone. The deaths from typhus
rose to 62 in the week. There were 5 from small-
pox,ye a r s.
and 10 from measles. A man died at the
referred to the head " typhus"
in the tables, 32 were caused by typhus
adovafntchee dsa2ge deoaft9hss
and typhoid.
fever, 16 by " fever," 2 by gastric fever, 1 by con-
tinued fever, 1 by infantile, and 1 by
billions fever.
Mr. Mears, the registrar of the Waterloo-road
sub district (Ist )
part , recorded 6 deaths from scar-
latina out of 9 deaths from all causes. He considers
that the .rapid propagation of the disease in his
neighbourhood is much aided by the overcrowding
of small houses, in consequence of the extensive
clearance effected for the Charing-cross railway.
Mr. Armstrong, registrar of St. Mary, St. George-
in-the-East, states that scarlatina has been very
prevalent during October in that part of his sub-
district, the northern, which is the most densely
populated.
Last week the births of 945 boys and 877 girls,
in all 1,822 children, were registered in London. !_n_
the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1851 6u
the average number was 1,654.

ALDERMAN SALOMONS, M.P., AND HIS CON-
STITUENTS.—Last evening a crowded public meeting of the
electors of the borough of Greenwich residing at Woolwich
Plumstead, and Charlton was held at the Literary Institu-
tion, Nelson-street, Woolwich, at which an address was
delivered by Alderman Salomon, M.P., on various pill°
questions of the day. A resolutiog expressive of continued
NDoAcTksLanlVdEHßaPrObOouLre—At a special
confidence in the worthy alderman was adopted.
yes-
terday, it was agreed, after a protracted debate,to
40ek works on the
apply
to PDar°lECCiaMofeEtnhXteTf3lEorNepraSoTewers to extend 04 Board, held yes-
Liverpool aide et the Mersey,