Ecuador is a small producer of cotton. The exports from Guayaquil, in 1877, were 2489 quintals (of 101-a. lb.) ; in 1878, 142 ; and in 1879, 200. This decrease was caused by continued heavy rains.
Surinam, in 1821, exported 1,500,000 kilo. of cotton ; in 1850, the figure had fallen to 500,000. Since the emancipation of the slaves, the cultivation has not been lucrative, and the 14 estates of 1863 are now reduced to 6, with a cotton area of about 1800 acres. In 1877, the production was 202,659 kilo.; and the exports, 95,073 kilo. The latter, in 1878, were only 84,600 kilo.
Europe.—Of European countries, Italy alone seems to possess the conditions requisite for successful cotton culture. The American war gave the industry a new impetus, and quantities of New Orleans seed were supplied to the peasants in place of the short, weak, and ill-coloured staple they were then growing. In 1864, 217,557 acres were planted with cotton ; but 10 years later, this figure had fallen to 85,388, the production decreasing in the same period from 1,225,770 cwt., to 354,827 cwt. The present centres are around Bari and Barletta, on the Adriatic ; in the neighbourhood of Salerno, Saron, and Castellamare, S. of Naples; and in the provinces of Cal tanissetta and Girgenti, on the S. shores of Sicily. The products are known respectively as " Pugliar," "Castellamare," " Biancavilla," and " Terranova." Sardinia also grows a little.
Africa.—Several portions of the African continent promise to afford considerable supplies of cotton. Foremost among them is Egypt, which is perhaps entitled to be considered the finest cotton-growing country in the world, not even excepting the S. States of America. The indigenous plant has been grown from very remote times, but cotton cultivation may be said to date from the introduction of American seed in the present century. The industry has spread widely in Lower Egypt, where soil and climate arc specially suitable, but labour is scarce. A still more likely district is to be found in the rich alluvia of the Soudan, where hundreds of thousands of acres await systematic husbandry. Experiments have recently been made to test whether the sowing-season of the ordinary plant might not be deferred from February-March to July, so as to bring the pieking-season into June, instead of September-Oetober. In this way, the dangers of
fogs, heavy dews, and inundations, to which the plants are now liable, would be greatly reduced. On the other hand, the production from the soil would be limited to one crop annually, instead of two ; but it is thought that the one crop would then be equal to two of the present. The weight of the crop obtained in the years 1871-8, stated in cantors (of 98 lb.) was as follows :-1871-2, 2,044, 254 ; 1872-3, 2,298,942 ; 1873-4, 2,538,351 ; 1874-5, 2,106,691 ; 1s75-6, 2,528,-198; 1876-7, 2,773,258 ; 1877-8, 2,593,670. Owing to the very high Nile of 1878, and a favourable season, the crop of 1879 was the heaviest on record. It was estimated at 3,250,000 orators (of 98 lb.), or 500,000 bales (of 5/ cwt.); and the quality was correspondingly good. The exports of this crop, from Oet. 1879 to Mar. 1880, have been in the proportion of 67i per cent. to England, 147 per cent. to Russia, and the remainder to Austria, France, and Italy. There is a noteworthy growth in the export to Russia of late years. Early in 1877, a new variety of Sea-lsland cotton, which had appeared in the Menoufleh district, attracted much attention. Its chief peculiarity lies in its fastigiate form of growth, 2-3 branches rising straight up from the main stem to 8-10 ft., without any secondary offshoot. It was celled " Bamie.," from its resemblance to Hibiscus esculentus, and the erroneous supposition that it was a hybrid between cotton and that plant. It bears an average of 50 pods, and its mode of growth allows much closer planting than with ordinary cotton, so that the yield is nearly doubled, while the quality is excellent ; but the plant requires much more water, which is a great drawback to its extended culture in Egypt, and it has not as a rule maintained its reputation when grown elsewhere—India, Fiji, &o. Nevertheless it is advancing in public favour both with growers and consumers.