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   GIUSEPPE DEVINCENZI
   Italy suoli abundance. But amongst ali countries there
   is none which at the present moment stands in a better condition than Italy for immediately producing a great quantity of cotton.
   I regret being obliged to confine so vast a subject withiu so brief a space. But from the general principles which we have already laid down with refereuce to this great branche of commerce, and from the special remarks which we shall offer relating to Italy. I trust that there will spring up in the minds of ali the same conviction, which an infinite 11 uni ber of facts and of observations has createci in my own mind, namely, that, although there are many regions of the earth capable of producing a greater or less quantity of cotton, the United States of America, the East Indies, and Italy are the three principal countries which must furnish the grea-test mass of cotton for the always increasing wants of our present civilisation. Cotton may become for Italy the same source of wealth and of prosperity which hiterto it has been for the United States and for England. This trade may become one of the principal foundations of our natioual power. We ought to cherish the hope that we may not be found wantiug in the requisite energy.
   The cultiva- xhe cultivation of cotton is of very ancient is of very au- date in Italy, and even before the year 1000 it ì^i* date in alread.y forni ed, both in Sicily and in the Southern provinces of the main land, one of the chief products of our agriculture. Before the cottons from the East Indies and of the United States of America were brought to Europe, the cottons of Italy and of a few other regioni 011 the coasts of the Mediterranean supplied, for a long time, first alone, and afterwards in couipe-tition with those of the West Indies, the wants