COLTIVAZIONE DFf. COTONE 166
   Yet, even if we restrict our considerations to Great advan-what we kuow; it is easy to perceive how im- the
   mense a fìeld of improvements and of profits is soil opened up to government and to private industry.
   The 800 000 hectares of land which inight be easily improved in the Southern provinces of the rnain land, and which now either yield no-thing; or a very small amount, could, if employed in the cultivation of cotton, produce, even at the lowest prices, an annual value of about 300000 000 milioni of francs
   If we consider that the interest of our public debt, which appears to us very heavy, does not amount to more han 142 000 000 of francs, and that this improvement of the soil is only one of the many improvements which we can introduce into the Southern provinces, we shall perceive how great is the necessity ofdeveloping the extremely varied and infinite elements of prosperity of that mysterious land, from w hich the greatness and power of Italy have so much to expect.
   It is the duty of the Italian Government to make every effort to promote the great interests of the nation, and certainly we ought not to neglect the great opportunity now presented by the cultivation of cotton. We ought to reflect that, if the American war shall not terminate next year, and if we shall, in donsequence, cul-tivate only 100 000 hectares with cotton, which may be easily doue by directing to this species of cultivation part of the lands now available for Indian corn, wheats, ecc., ecc., we shall be able to obtain more than 250 000000 of francs more than the sum required to improve the greater part of the marsby Italian soils.
   l) See p. 238.