Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-07-13
SKETCHES, SSc.-No. 8.
PRoDuCTs OF AGnIcuLruRE.
We come to the 18th class; viz.
COTTON
e mean, for a variety Of purposes.

Cotton, which clothes nearly half the world, and
contributes so much to- our furniture our beds
aud sur tables is, luckily for man, as common in
ITS growth as 1t is IN its utility. Its native of
,ne uop'cai regions, m every quarter of tse world
IL rs mentioned by lierodotus, as growing in India.
at the tine hc wrote his history. Il WAS found g.
inong the MeXicans and Peru,ians, OH the FIRST dis
covery OF America and among the latter, the
manufacture oil 1t was carried 10 ineonsiderable
extent"
In thisdesultory description, the reader viii, mo,
look tor learning or, else might quote ut length
an account OF it, Of the same learned nature with
the following definition from the Edinburgh Epcy-
ciop@iia g Cofton is name, which, in common
language, IS very loosely given to any vegetable
hiamento1s substance but It is correctly appro-
priated to that peculiar vegetable matter consist
inS oil ihnuTnerabie haments, arranged together
wilma an external cost, and enyeloping the seeds OF
The genus GCssypiu.0." Tne reader is well enough
acquainted with Cotton for the present DurDoss =
lie ought to be informed, however, that there
are many varieties of the pant-some have G.
Enumerated tex species, whose distinctions are To be
iound IN the form OF the Leaf, and the size Of the
tree.
Bat in South Carolina and Georgia. he ..eaiest
Col.oh states, three species are recognized I
" he 6tdCc seed, OF ing STABLE which came from
Fernambueo about the year 1857 or SO; q the
green seed cotton, or uoirRd cotton, or short Ia
pie, cultivated in the middle aad upper counties
anu - ha"Sten, (or Sained) cotton, also grown ia
,
rs deep and durable" The two forratr are e,,ovvn
anu shipped IN the greatest profession. "I'he lst
grows along The scr coat acd is said 70 deIiye its
line quality more from the salt air than the sci,
u Is easily cleaned from the seed" The Cd grows
on The upland, at distance from the ,asf has
green seed, IS Of short staple and until hciuven-
Ton q Tnachue Tor the purpose, was so tilict,it
20 be csancd, ur scpSated from the seed, as 20 be
scarcely worth The trouble and expcnce of cuIiiya-
ton. Ibis machine was invented by Mr.. Eli
Whitney 4 native Of Massachusetts, who was ac-
edcntsiiy III Georgia, in the year I795, gentle
man OF education, and distinguished for his mecItan-
zeal genus. This olcbine has enriched the sou,h-
ern planter by enabling him to cultivate, TO the
greatest 3d,antagc, ore Of the most valuable. STA
pies IN the would. Before i;s invention very lit
tie nPhnd cotton wss cultivated, ard scorc.iy
single pound was exported from the ULited States;
afterwards, the culture # this species of cotton be-
came the principal object 1T the planter in Smith
Carclna and Georgia, and in the year 1907.
more than 55,o0O0u0 Of pounds of upland cotton
was exported, and which WIS vaiu. al at NOR.
than eleven and half millions of dollars This
important machine has thus wrought IN immeose
revolution in The occupations Of many thousand
people. Mr. Whitney has not been without his
reward Souih-Csolma hes gwen hn add his
partner $4,000 for the privilege Of using it in the
state.--hr VS. gin has received several i'm
proyements since it came frora his bands Ma
NY Of the planters own gins of their own
and in many places, gins kept for the sake of
the f9H
How rapid has been the the Increase of This val
liable staple in the last few years The progression
is detailed iy Mr.. Pkn, from whose statistics we
borrow pr,fIsely.
Ia 1901, the United States exported 1870 $40 lbs.
in 159f, I.60i76D lbf--in 1898 $3.50. uJ5 ibs--
in 1909, 17,7Sg sos lbs.--t8O2, ri. 5OI0z5 lac
ia 1901. 3S,li8,Oii lbs
TIE following table exhibit r,e cottrns of do
mestic growth exported fiOm Isn4 10 1914