The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1858-04-29

| "i'ctuIefS, WIG al cOncuffeu IN the Opil-
ion expressed in former years, that the
shortncss of the staple is defects rem
drrIng them of comparatively little value
to the English manufactures, though they
had been prepared will, very great care,
and rendered rs valuable as the oririual
| quality Of the cotton would admit.
! Shortly after the commencement: of Mr..
beli'S experiments, namely, III 1917, DR..
Sill WAS drpu,cd To the JuIlun,lcr district,
in the Dooah, or the couniry between the
GanGcs and the Jnmna, to Inquire into its
capabilities for the production Of IL superior
description of cotton. From his report,
anil another made upon the same district
by Sir }. Lawrence, the present Commits
soncr Of the punjauh, the Indian Govern
mcnt w;'s OF opinion that the Dooah offers
no peculiar advantages for the cultivation o!
cotton over those possessed by several other
districts in the north west Provinces and
that, though cotton Of good quality is
grown in some parts of the Dooth, and its
cultivation could no doubt be extended, as
nearly the whole couutry was covered al-
ready with fine crops Of wheat barley and
! sugar canes, 1t WAS not advisable to incur
! any expense TO encourage its cultivation,
the sclt.ntcrcst Of the agricu!tur,list being
deemed suiliccn: to induce them to devote
moro capital and labor to its production
whenever it offers promises Of better re.
muneration. The sample forwarded to
Lon1on rescm5lcl bengal cotton Of fair
| quality, and were too short in the staple to
he used for general purposes. In 1850, an
| experiment w1s ma'le at Cawnpore with
Mexican seed t'y Mr.. Bruce, deputy collcc-
tor at that place, and sample Of Tho pro.
! ducc was sent to Mr.. Bell, at Agra, who
thus wrote Of it I" If Mr.. Bruce could cul-
tivate, commercially, which is very differ
ent from garden sample, such cotton, he
will have solved the problem Of the ability
OF India to compete with America. l think
it the best cotton have seen in this coun-
try" This was vauled in Calcutta at S 2l.
per pound.
DIR. Forbes Roylc, in report which We
find among these papers, states that the
best method of improving the Indian cot
lotion would be, TO select the districts
where the best cottons are already produced,
the next best to Introduce good seed into
districts where inferior cottons are produced
Both suggestions have been availed Of and
the results Of inquiry and experience has
been to stimulate the production Of cotton
to the degree shown 10y recent official re-
turns. In 1855, the total exI o,tation of
cotton from India to Englanl was 1906
243 ll's.; that OF the United Statas $685.
OF lbs; in 1856, India sent l,6Il,577
lbs; and the United States G,os4,G43 lhs,;
and in 1857, India 2,233,lG2, lbs.
and the United States 5,s4G.O5t lbs. So
that, while the supply received from Amer
ica had diminished, that from India had
nearly doubles. -Ne,0 York Times.
The Interior Of North Itn,erica-rrof
Henry, Of the Smithsonian institution, has
collected facts respecting the interior OF the
United States, Which will command the at
tention Of scientific men and statesmen. The
induction from these facts is, that the entire
region of the United States west of the
osth degree west longitude, (say the west
ern boundary OF Minnesota.( with the ex-
ception Of n small portion of Western Texas
and the narrow border along the Pacific,
Gncludng Calfonia) is a sterile waste of
comparatively lille value, and which can
never be available to the agriculturist. The
Importance Of this statement will be more
fully compreherded when it is considered
that tho line Of Prof, Henry, Which extends
soutlward from Lake Winnipeg to The Mexi.
can Gulf, will divide the surface of the
United States into two nearly equal parts
The intense heat and extreme dryncss of
this region, which will make tho Great
American Plains barren waste forever is
caused to great extent, according o Prof
lienry's theory, by the fact that tho return
ing trade winds, sweeping over tho elevated
masses of the Rocky Mountains, are depriy.
ed of their moisture in other words. the
heated air which ascends at the equator
saturated with moisture il has extracted in
IFS passage over the ocean, after depostine
portion of its vapor in the tropics at the
rainy season, it is further disiosted BY the
ridges and mountains WHICH It meets. the
vapor being condensed on the windward
si'le by the cold due to the increased verti |
cal light, aud it finally passes over and
strikes The plaia as dry as sponge which
has been thoroughly squeezed. Without
moisture there oaa>bs no fertility, no. aeri.
caltufs aud q great portion Of this wilder.
ness, according to Prof Henry, is as ire
deemable barren, fer the purpose of apri.
culture as the daserts of Africa. If h;s
theory be t.ue,<ir will greatly thodifv the
opinions whioh have been. enter,ainaJ II.