The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-05-04
History of the Cotton Plant


There has just been issued by the
weather bureau of the agricultural de.
partment a bulletin ON the climatol-
ogy of the cotton plant, by Prot. p. II.
Nell of A labama, which must he of in
terest to every cotton grower. In it
we are told that cotton belongs to a
large family Of pIants called NAL "a
ceae, and is represented by more than
so species. Only about six or eight
of these species, however, are of spec
ial commercial value, and from these
the fire Of the world is produced
Among this number may be mention
ed the following as Representing the
most important:
First = Gossypium bahma, or
Egyptian cotton.
second - Gossypium barbadense,
also called gossypium migrum. sea-
island cotton, long stapl cotton and
blackseed COTTON.
Third-GOssypium herbaceum, also
called gossypium album, shortstaple
cotton, upland cotton and greenseed
cotton.
These species have again
been divided into large
number of socalled varieties
that have been produced by accident
al crossings between species exposed
to each other in neigh boring fields
years ago, until now, under peculiar
conditions of cultivation and changes
in climate, the specific characteristics
have been largely concealed, aud it is
somewhat doubtful whether the up
land cotton is Glossy plum herbaceum
or the mingling OF several species.
GOssypium bahma originated IN
Egypt many years since, and was pro-
ouced through an accidental hybrid
from the HIBISCUS ,Jsculentus With
the native Egyptian cotton.
The Gossypium barbadeuse, or sea.
island cotton came originally rom
Persia, from which island it was trans,
planted to the island of Anguilla.
then to the Bahama Islands, and sub
sequently to the coasts of South Car.
Gina, Georgia and east Florida This
plant has been grown with various
degrees of success for many years on
the islands of EdisiO, Saint Simon.
Jeykl, and Skidaway; but it has new
er reached that degree of development
and extent of cultivation that has
been accorded the upland cottons.
The GSssypium herbaceum, or green
seed cotton, is the name generally
applied to all plants grown in the
interior / the cotton belt, although |
SIN inclined to the belief that an ia
vestigation will prove that the upland
cotton il the blending of severa!
species, 1t is quite difficult to hive
the exact origin of the Glossy plum
herbaceum, as many sources have
been claimed for it. Some authorities
have referred to it as an offspring
from the Brazilian cotton, while
others with equal positiveness assert
that it came from the Mex can stock
and hence have given it the common
name Of Mexican cotton. There is
every reason to believe, however, that
the plant has long been accimated to
its present home and as alreacy
stated has undergone many changes
that have been brought about
largely through climatic conditions.
From its more or less shrubby form,
il is supposed by some authorities to
have been tree-like in its early history
anu hOC an annual as IL Is uO". LII
support Of this idea, it is we'll known
that in some portion of the cotton belt,
the plant assumes sometimes almost
tbs size Of a tree and its stem becomes
decidedly shrubby. Its habitat, how.
ever, over the entire South has re-
duced it to an annual, and the seed is
planted and the fiber is ma.
tured between the last
frost in spring and the first frost in
autumn.
The space at my command will not
permit further reference at this time
to mIcn more instructive matter con.
tanned in the bulletin which will re-
ceive attention in the near future.