The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-05-30
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
COTTON CULTURE IN CHINA.

find an extract from Fortunes work on China
giving an interesting account Of The mode Of
growing cotton in that extensive empire That
paper states that the word cotton l. derived from
KAo-Len, the name of the most western district Of
china, and it must have been cultivated there
centuries before it was known to the western
world. We have no means of learning how
much cotton Is produced there, but probably
more than Is now produced in India, az its I'M
mense population Is supplied mostly from home
manufacture
The Chinese or Marking cOttOn-plant IL the
GoSsypium herbGoe1Dn Of botanists, and the
" Me t0hd'' of the northern Chinese IL Il a
branching annual. growing from one 70 three
or four feet in height, according 70 the richness
of the soil, and towering from August 70 OctO-
Der. The flowers are of a dingy yellow color,
and, like the Hibiscus or Malva, which belong
70 the same tribe. remain expanded only for a
few hours, in which time they perform the part
allotted TO them by nature, and then shrivel up
and soon decay. At this stage the seed-pOd
begins 70 swell rapidly, and. when ripe, the
outer coating bursts and exposes the pure white
cotton in which the seeds lie imbedded.
The yellow cotton, from which the beautiful
Marking Goth IL manufactured, is called - TIE
me phd'' by the Chinese, and differs but slightly
In It's structure and general appearance from the
kind just noticed. | have often compared them
in the cotton-felds where they were growing,
and, although the yellow variety has = more
stunted habit than the other, IL has no characters
which constitute a distinct species. 1t is merely
an accidental variety. and, although its seeds may
generally produce the anne kind, they doubtless
frequently yield the white variety and rice UerSd.
Hence specimens Of the yellow cotton are fire.
quently found growing amongst the white in the
immediate vicinity Of Shanghae and again a few
mics nOrthward, in fields near the city of POU-
shun on the banks Of the Yangtze-kiang where
the yellow cotton abOunds, | have often gathered
specimens of the white variety.
The Marking cotton is chiefly cultivated in the
level ground around Shanghai, where IL forms the
staple summer production Of the country. The
district, which IS part of the great plain Of the
Yang-tze-kiang, although Hat, i yet several feet
above the level Of the water in the rivers and
canals, and is consequently much better fitted for
cotton cultivation than those fiat rice-districts IN
various parts of the country-such, for example,
as the plain of Ningpo-where the ground is
either wet and marshy, OF liable at times 10 be
completely OyeriOwed. Some fields in this dis
triet are, Of course. low and marshy, and these
are cultivated with rice instead of cotton, and
regularly flooded BY the water-wheel during the
period Of growth. Although the cottOn-land is
generally Hat, so much 50. indeed. that no hills
can BE- seen from the tops of the houses in the
city Of Shanghai, il has nevertheless a pleasing
and Undertaking appearance, and, taken as u
whole, 1t II perhaps the most fertile and agrIcul-
tural district in the world. The soil is a strong
rich loan, capable Of yielding immense crops
year after year, although it receives but 4 small
portion Of manure.
The manure applied to the cotton-lands Of the
Chinese IL doubtless peculiarly well fitted for this
kind Of crop. Ii IL obtained from the canals,
ponds, and bitches which intersect the country in
every direction, and consist of mud which has
been formed partly by the decay of long grass,
reeds, and succulent water-plants, and partly by
the surface soil which has been washed down
from the higher ground by the heavy rains.
r -.-..TI - IITna aaav-a o..
be done with the greatest regularity, at certain
stated times which experience has proved the best;
and in nothing - this more apparent than in the
manuring of the cotton lands. Early in April
the agricultural labOrers all over the country are
seen busily employed in cleaning these ponds and
bitches. The water is first of all partly drawn
OF and then the mud - thrown up on the adjoIn-
ing land to dry, where it remains Tor a few days
until all the superfiuOus water is drained out of
il, and is then conveyed away and spread over the
eottOn-felds. Previous to this the land has been
prepared for It's reception having been either
pIowed up with the small buffalo plow in COM
mon use in the country and then broken and pull
verised by the three-prOnged hoe in those instan-
ces where the farms are small and cannot boast
of a buffalo and plow. it is lOosened and broken
up entirely by manual labor. When til mud Is
first spread over the land, ;t Is, of course, hard or
cIoggy, but the FIRST showers soon mix it with the
surface soil. and the whole becomes pulverised,
and il is then ready for the reception of the cot
ton seed. ROad-scrapings and burnt rubbish are
saved up with care, and used for the came pur-
pose and IN the same manner
A considerable portion of the cotton lands
either lie ftllow during the winter months. or are
planted with those crops which are ready for
gathering prior 10 the sowing of the cottOn-seed.
Frequently, however, two crops are found grow
ing in the field at the same time. Wheat for
example, which IL n winter crop, IL reaped in the
Shanghae district generally about the end of May,
while the proper time for putting in the cotton
seed is the beginning of that month OF the end OF
April. In order, therefore, to have cotton on the
wheat lands, the Chinese sow its seeds at the
usual time amongst the wheat, and, when the
latter j. reaped. the former is several inches
above ground, and ready to grow with yigOr
when IL Il more fully exposed to the influence OF
sun and air. The Shanghae season-that j.,
from the late spring frusts To those in autumn
is barely long enough for the production and
ripening of the cotton, a. 1t is easily injured by
trusts and the Chinese farmer l. thus obliged,
In order % gain time and obtain two crops from
his ground in one year, To SOW It's seeds before
the winter crop Is ready to be removed from
the ground. When IL ~ possible To have the
first crop entirely removed before the cotton
IL sown, IL IL much preferred, n the land can
then be we'll worked and properly manured,
neither Of which can otherwise be done. The
method Of sowing one crop before the preced-
ing one Is ripe and removed from the land i
yery common in this part of the country and
even in autumn, before the cOttOn-stalks are
taken out Of the ground. other seeds are frequently
seen terminating and ready to take the place Of
the more tender crop
In the end Of April and beginning Of May-the
land having been prepared in the manner just
described-the cottOn-seeds are carried in baskets
to the fields, and the sowing commences. They
are generally sown broadcast, that j., scattered
REGULARLY over the surface Of the ground. and
then the IabOrers 90 over the whole surface with
their feet and tread them carefully in. This not
only imbeds the seeds, but also acts like n roller
to break and pulverise the soil. termination
soon commences, the seeds roofing first in the
manure which had been scattered over the sur
face Of the land. In some cases the seed. instead
OF being sown broadcast, Is sOwn in drills or
.---I- = l. .-rruunn IT, IL