Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-02-18

The following extract Of letter from
Rev. r, Abbey, of Yazoo county, giving
a history of this celebrated cotton, was
read at the Fair Of the Louisiana Agricul-
tura and Mechanics Association, held at
Baton Rouge in January;
The high character which this cotton
has obtained in the short lime il has been
in the country, will perhaps be regarded
as a sufficient apology for me, as its origi-
nal proprietor, to invoke the attenti on Of
your association, and thus introduce TO the
public, a very few brief facts in relation
to it. The name MAsToDoN was given to
il by myself. Its nativity | have never
learned. All know in relation to its orr
gin is, that traveller in the interior of
Mexico, about five years since, purchased
four seed al high price and brought them
to this country. II has been grown now
near four years by myself Last year,
about twenty or thirty other persons cult
waited small quantities in Mississippi and
Louisiana.
Ihave endeayored, as far as practicable,
10 obtain the views and opinions Of others
who have cultivated the Mastodon, to com
pare with my own experience; and have
the satisfaction to state, as the best lnfor-
nation | have been able 10 concentrate,
that the product Of the Mastodon, on either
the river bottoms or uplands, is greater
than that OF the common Mexican cotton
of the country, and that in many respects
| it is a much more certain crop,
The picking of the Mastodon is some
what better than our common cotton, the
bolls being about double the size. 1t hangs
in the boils slightly tighter Than our other
cotton, VIII ich prevents it from falling out
in the field, but slii only so tight as to
make but, perhaps, barrel precepible
difference in the picking, 1t gins a liltle
harder than the common cotton. Upon
the whole, the Mastodon is the easiest tt
raise and prepare for market, pound FOL
pound.
In regard to the mode Of cultivating
the Mastodon, | will observe, that make
no difference between it and the common
cotton. give it the same distance anc
the same cultivation, The gin, for the
Mastodon, should have wider gales thar
lcommon, in consequence of its grea
length aud staple. Or if the common cir
be used, it should be run slow or it will
cut The fibres. The Masiodon cannot,
think, be ginned on the roller gin, as somt
purchasers and cotton brokers have sug
gested, in consequence Of its strong ad
herenco to the seed.
Upon the spiect OF the value and quail
ity of the Mastodon cotton in market,
would not become me to offer any view
of my own, for the opinion OF others, mucl
better qualified to Judge, are within you
reach; barely observe, that the genera
length of the staple is about two inches
and it is regarded in New Orleans as bein!
oil a remarkable strength and firmness.--
My own present crop is the only crop 0
Mastodon ever raised in tn, United States
a part of this was sold few weeks since
lin New Orleans by Buckner q Stanton
at l6 cents round Other little parcel
have been sold at various prices, ranging
as low as l2A cents. These cottons, a
far as know, or am able to learn, weri
all handled in the common rough manner
withoutany special pains taken. My own
can aver, was both picked and gimme
very roughly. IT is believed, moreover
that in Consequence of the sudden and un
expected introduction Of small lots 0
long staple into the New Orleans market
where short staple alone has been lool<eC
for and purchased, the Mastodon has no,
as yet, been able to assume fair position
in The market, and command the price
was really entitled to. Next year, it i
presumed, il will establish for itself
market IN New Orleans.
-------~~----~-------4.~--s
An exchange has the following quizzi
cal rhyme: