COLTIVAZIONE DFf. COTONE
   166
   There are provinces in which land itself is worth much less than the annual rental from the same extent of land in other provinces.
   From the facts and considerations which have Value of a been just adduced, every Italian agriculturist is [,*tareo{(Mt able to judge whether it would answer for bim to direct bis attention to the cultivation of cotton. A hectare of land employed in the growth of cottoli cannot yield les, in future years, than 366 francs, and should the American war not terminate next year, land in Italy will tlien return more than 2 600 francs or L. 104. The expense of cultivation, without including the rent of the land, does not amount in those provinces to the half of the lowest price at wich cotton can be sold. From the cultivation of cottoli the owner of the soil will be able to secure a net return which, in no case, in future, can be less than about 180 francs, and which, at the commencement, inay reach 2 400 francs, and even more. The process of sowing cotton does not require greater care than must be bestowed on that of Indian corn and of most vegetables. The soils prepared for these last kinds of cultivation may be, in most cases, rendered available for the production of cotton.
   Should the American war not speedily come to a close, as unhappily it appears not likely to do, it will prove extremely advantageous to our agriculturists to effect this substitution. Let us assume, however, that with the close of the Ame- Exgiwj of rican war, in consequence of the old stores to cotton for 0t-be got rid of, cottons should be sold during a ber crcpa year, not at 0,88, but at 0,65, in other words, at the price of threepence the pound, the Italian cultivator would, during a year, obtain only about 300 francs per hectare or L. 12. Now, there are sfinite tracts of land within the cotton-growing