Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-04-04
- ACotton.I
CENSUS OF 1850.


CENSUS OF 1850. ell
Cotton is indIgenohs to the tropical
regions Of both Hemispheres 1t hss
been much improved by cultivation, and
is bow cultivated With profit IS far North
as Illinois.
The use of the fibre Of the cotton
plant as a material for textile fabrics,
does not appear to have been known to
theee naiions of antiquity, whose skill
in manufacture of fine linen, and in the
weaving of wool, isFecOraed in the most
andient writings.
The earliest mention Of cotton is by
Herodotus, about $50, B. O., who speaks
Of Die trees of India being the finest
Heeces, more delicate and beautiful
than those Of the sheep, and of the ms
dams using them for the manufacture of
cloth. t'''
Meophrastis also describes its culture
from exact Information. Cloth from
India colton was gradually introduced
into Greece and Rome, and before the
Christian Era, was applied by Verres,
in Sicily, as a covering for his tents
Cotton awnings were 6rst introduced in
60, B. c., in the theatre, at the Appoli.
marian games, aud Cesar nfterward COW
cred the forum with ii, as also the sa-
cred way from his own house tothe
Capitoliae Hill, The cotton fabrics OF
the Hihdoos have besnlexceIied in fine-
ness end excellence only by the produc-
tions of the most perfect machines Of
modern times. ~ssYssfs.srtsg
Hindoostail still continues to produce
large quantities of cotton. The annu.
al products is roughly estimated at
$50, 000, 1000 pounds, of which two thirds
is consumed by the natives. The re-
mainder 10 exported to Great Britain
Burmah also produces considerable
amount of cotton. It's expectation to
China. with that of British India, is
supposed to amount to 10000 bales an
nually China consumes large quanti-
ties Of cotton. It's use and cultivation
does not seem to have been known pre-
vious to the 18th century. Their Nam
keens ere among their best fabrics. No
doubt many will recollect how proud
they felt with their first suit of Nankeen.
Africa lie said to excel any other coun.
try ia the world in it's adaptation of its
soil and climate to. the cultivation of
cotton. DR.. Livingston found the plant
6ourishing proliically. In the country
Of Angola the American cotton plant he
thinks has there become perennial, and
speaks Of n having been cleared Of as &
nuisance, to make room for the cultiva-
ticn of vegetables. The total product
of Africa in 1857 was 75,4l9 pounds.
He reports African cotton as worth I'd
to Sd per pound more in Liverpool than
East India cotton.
In 1921 cotton was introduced into
Egypt and England now draws from
there portion of her supplies.
Spain was the first OF European
countries to adopt theTcotton culture.
1t Was ihtrodnced there in the tenth
century by the Moors, and II was about
the same time introduced into Sicily.
The Vehitians engaged in it in the four
teenth century, and the Turks, about the
Same time. intrcduced liz ihao0 Ro6m ella
and Macedonia. The FIRST notice of the
English directing their attention to the
manufacture OF the product was in I64l.
In the-early part Of the eighteenth CEN
tury, the English recaived It from the
East and West indies. It is said that
the manufacture. of cofton cloth was we'll
understood by the Mexicans and Peru
vians long before the discovery of their
countries BY the Europeans. The West
Indies furnished Great Britain, about
The close of the last century, with 49,
900 bales of cotton.ie 4 nigfI ~ 81
The cotton crop of Brazil exceeded
that Of any other country in the early
part Of this century, excepting the Unit
ed States. .b11 - sAAt y =
Cotton is spoken of in Ca-rolLs Z, His.
torieal Collection Of South Carolina,
1884, .In-1z36- the plant was known Ia
the gardens in latitude 80, on the East
ern. shore Of Maryland, and 40 years az.
terward it was cultivated in the county
of Cape May, N j. This may account
FORTS persistent adherence to the rebel
ConfedeFacy, and as the last of the free
States to adopt the Constitutional
amendment prohibiting slavery.
1t was, however, little, known except
as garden plant until after the Revo-
luton. AT the commencement of the
Revolution, Gen. DelagalI is said to have
had 80 acres under cultivation near Sa-
vannah, and, in 1748, among the ex-
ports for Charleston, s. c.. were 7 bags
of cotton wool, valued at .e.3, lis; Sd per
bag Another small shipment was made
J In 1854, and, in ITO, 3 more, amount
IN 80 - - u 10y 49, ~
= In 1784, [De Bowbolt, page l9, eight
bags shipped to England were seized, on
the ground that so much cotton conldnot
be produced in the United States. The
exports the next six years were II bags,
6 bags, 100 hays, 3S9 bags, S42 bags
and in 1890, 81 bags. This is, however,
'contradicted by McCulloch. and tits sup
posed that It might have been from the
West Indies. wa WILL Il I'LL
In 1786, the first Sea Island cotton
was raised, on, the coast Of Georgia, and
Its expectation commenced in 17SS. The
| frst successful crop was raised in 1890
or, .the island of Hilton Head, In 1928
so bags Of this cotton were sold at s.
per pound. 10. s.fl ts4asal ss.aah s-i
Ia 1890, England received only one
bag in one thousand of United States
/ cotton, imported, aud in 1892, one in
I l76, and in 1875, one in Is, and in 1899
4 oue.ninth Of the importations were from
this country. The expectations to Greai
Britain from the United States, betwee1
/ September, 1857 and August, 1858, was
4 683, 1891, 972 pounds. No statistics ars
just now convenient, by which the mum
Der OF pounds Of cotton exported in 1856
80 efer issl1ss fsaaa aw@ p lniA a4e
~ - rshN az iHls &