Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 1.djvu/140

58 tain, viz. the old Gossypium herbaceum, with palmately lobed leaves, whether an annual or a tree of indefinite duration, secondly, the American form with simply lobed or angled leaves, equally leaving duration out of the question, G. barbadense; and thirdly, the form with the seed adherent in form of a cone, G. acuminatum, comprehending the various forms known under the names of Pernambuco, Peruvian, Bahia and Ava cotton. I prefer Roxburgh's name to the older G. peruvianum, as it expresses the prevailing form of the lobes of the leaves rather than the native country of a plant so widely distributed. Under the first of these leading forms may be ranged: ''G. indicum Lam : G. micranthum Cav. G. arboreum? Linn. G. vitifolium (?) Lam. G. hirsutum Linn.G. eglandulosum Cav. G. religiosum (?) Linn, and G. obtusifolium'', Roxb. Under the second all the American forms with distinct seed: and under the third, all those having them coherent; whether downy or smooth, or with 3 or 4-valved capsules. Dr. B. Hamilton, following Van Rohr employs the seed to furnish his specific characters, and according as they are black or white, reduces all the forms to one or other of two species, distinguished by that mark. Our country Cotton, and all its varieties, form his G. album : the American ones with black seed, his G. nigrum, among which G. acuminatum is included. The characters on which this division is established I consider of no value in themselves, but the division itself, excluding G. acuminatum from his G. nigrum, I think correct.

In three instances in the above enumeration I have added marks of doubt, indicating thereby, that I am still uncertain whether or not they ought to be considered distinct species. Judging from Mr. Royle's description, G. vitifolium seems to be either a hybrid or cross, between the Indian and American forms, or G. acuminatum, but as I have not examined the plant I forbear to offer any opinion. The other two, G. arboreum and G. religiosum are, I believe the same plant, though possibly distinct, but I rather think not, since the difference of the colour of the flower only, (the one purple the other yellow), gives probability to that supposition, and such a distinction, would scarcely be admitted in any other genus. With the view however of enabling all those who take an interest in this branch of the enquiry to judge for themselves, I shall copy and reprint in outline, in my forthcoming Icones, along with the obtuse lobed variety, Mr. Royle's figures, both as showing the grounds on which his opinion is formed, and the difference of forms of the Asiatic and American species. In so far as I have yet gone, my remarks have all been directed to the botanical peculiarities of this genus, it is now incumbent on me, in a work which has for its object to give some account of the history and the uses of the more valuable plants which fall to be noticed in its progress, to consider briefly the economical applications of the produce of this genus, which, when viewed in all its relations, must without any exception, be ranked as the most valuable to mankind of the whole vegetable kingdom.

During the year 1835, there was imported into England 361,685,000 pounds of clean cotton. As however the imports that year were very high, let us suppose that 350 millions of pounds is the quantity imported into England annually, and as a general average, that one acre produces 100 lbs. of clean cotton, then 3,500.000 square acres of surface or about 5469 square miles, are required to supply the English market with that one commodity : to cultivate which, at the rate of 100 persons per square mile 5,46,900 persons are employed; and to convey the produce to England 1,56,250 tons of shipping, or about 157 ships of 500 tons are required giving employment to upwards of 6000 persons to navigate them : add to these, the number of people employed in packing, conveying the article to the coast, embarking, relanding, &c. and we may perhaps fairly assume as a very low estimate, that not fewer than a million persons are engaged in supplying England with the raw material only, of her cotton manufactures.

The numbers employed in the construction of the machinery, and in the fabrication of the article into the thousands of shapes it is made to assume, it is quite impossible to say, but may perhaps, at a moderate estimate be stated at ten times that amount, when to that we add, that probably not one-twentieth of what is produced finds its way to England, we may well say, that cotton is the most valuable product of the vegetable kingdom.

The production of an article conferring so great commercial advantages on any country enjoying a soil and climate suited for the growth of the plant, becomes an object of the first importance, and has, more especially of late years, attracted much attention in India, in the hope of enabling her, by improving the quality and increasing the quantity of cotton grown for exportation, to compete, in supplying the English market, with America, though the latter