COLTIVAZIONE DFf. COTONE
166
tions, to suppose that they will find very great advautages from cultivating it. In the first place, the « Sea Island cotton » is much less productive than the other species, and not half as productive as the New Orleans cotton. Iu the second place its sale is extremely uncertain. The quantity of it required is very small little more than one per cent, on the whole mass of the cottons in the European markets; and if the colours be not quite pure, it is not sold at a bigher price than the New Orleans cotton.
It will certainly be of the greatest utility, if ExpenujentB we are to uudertake the cultivation of cotton in and Inqulrla* Italy 011 a large scale, that ali tbe other species and varieties cultivated elsewhere should be stu-died, and made the subject of experiinents; it will even be most desiderable that establishmcnts for acclimatising new plants should be founded. We have with the greatest possible care, brought together, both from tbe International Exhibition and from other quarters an extremely rich col-lection of cotton seeds, which we are anxious to see tried in Italy. Indeed, as it will be, perhaps, impossible to form again so complete a collection, we are of opinion that it ought to be exmined both from an agricultural and from a botanical point of view. This will be a very fitting occasion for drawing up a complete monograpli of the cotton plant. But experiments and researches are one tbing, and practicai cultivation is anotlier. It is necessary that the cotton-growers should not lose sight of the good quality of the cottons hitherto cultivated in Italy, until special experiments shall have proved to us that we can secure something better.
The numerous questions which are dailv ad-dressed to us from the different Italian provinces respecting the new spccies of cotton, and in par-