The several varieties of Indian, Asiatic, or Oriental cotton belong, with one exception, to G. herbaceum. This exception is the purple-blossomed tree-cotton, G. arboreum (religiosum), held sacred, and grown about the Hindu temples ; its staple is silky, and efforts have been made to improve it by hybridizing, and to bring it into general culture, but it remains almost unknown to commerce. Indian cottons, known collectively as "Surate," are distinguished chiefly as " Hingung hat," " Oomrawuttee," " Broach," " Dhollera," and "Dharwar." The first, possessing the highest qualities, is at the head of the sorts grown in the Central Provinces and the Berars ; the staple is moderately long and strong, soft, white, and silky. Great efforts have been made to improve the Indian cottons by the introduction of exotic seed, the chief object being to increase the length of staple. The only case in which any success has been achieved is with New Orleans cotton (G. hirsutum), in the Dharwar country, in the south of the Bombay Presidency. All experience elsewhere in India points to the fact that exotic cottons rapidly deteriorate, and that efforts to improve the best indigenous kinds are more likely to be successful. With these latter, the object sought is increased production rather than augmented length of staple, and it remains to be proved whether the additional care and expense will be warranted by the result. Meantime, the researches of Col. Trevor Clarke on hybridization may open up a new line for improvement.
Every step in the culture of the plant, and preparation of the fibre, is in India marked by extreme rudeness, not to say carelessness. The picking of the bolls, and separation of the fibre from the seed, are especially capable of much improvement, the introduction of which would materially raise the value of the article. .
The Table, p. 954, compiled for the Exhibition of 1872, exhibits the proportionate quantity of each sort of cotton produced in the various provinces, the season of coming to market, the local consumption, and the ports of shipment and destination of the exports, as nearly as could bo ascertained.
The exports for the last five years have been ae follows :-1873-4, 4,499,698 cwt.; 1874-5, 5,600,086 ; 1875-6, 5,009,788 ; 1876-7, 4,557,914 ; 1877-8, 3,459,077. The shipments to the United Kingdom have been falling off annually since 1871-2, and England no longer remains a large customer for Indian cotton, much less than half the total export now coming to us. Continental Europe maintains a steadily increasing demand : in 1877-8, France took about 611,000 cwt.; Italy, 434,000; Austria, 407,000; and Germany, 109,000; China also took 209,000 cwt. Russia in the same year took 49,000 owt., which was last year (1878-9) reduced to less than 2000 cwt. In the
matter of produdtion, the Bombay Presidency is steadily declining, while Bengal and Madras, especially the former, manifest a decided increase.
China.—The Chinese or Nankin cotton is a variety of G. herbaceum. It is cultivated chiefly on the level ground around Shanghai, forming the principal summer crop. The soil here is a strong rich loam, whioh is manured with the scrapings of the ponds and ditches—rich mud, full of rotten vegetable matters. In April-May, the seed is sown broadcast, and trodden in. Thinning and weeding are attended to during the summer, and the earth is loosened. The plants flower in August-Oetober. When the pods begin to burst, they are gathered with great care, and taken home, and spread on hurdles 4 ft. above the ground to be sun-dried. When dry, the seeds are extracted by the old-fashioned Indian rolls, and the fibre is bowed. This last process renders it particularly clean and soft. Chinese cotton is reokoned much superior to Indian, thanks to the greater care bestowed upon it. None is exported.
The French Colony of Saigon, in 1879, had about 2114 acres under cotton cultivation, dis tributed among the following proviuces:—Vinblong, 1475; Saigon, 360; Bassac, 182; Mytho, 97 The exports in 1879 were 11,569 piculs (of 144 lb.); the crop was partially destroyed by heavy rains. In 1878, about 34,384 piculs came to market. Egyptian seed sown in Cambodia promises well.
Japan, Java, &c.—In Japan, an indigenous variety of G. herbaceum is largely cultivated, and develops different characteristics aocording to the locality where it is grown. It thrives in n much colder and moister climate than the best known varieties, but its product is inferior to American, Egyptian, or even South Sea cotton. The seed, having been soaked in water, is sown in early May, and the plants appear about 7-8 days later. Fish-manure is then applied. From mid-June to mid-July, the plants are thinned out, and the larger ones are pruned. Watering is then most carefully attended to till the pods begin to expand in early September. A light well drained soil is best. About 1000 lb. nueleaned cotton is obtained from an acre in good seasons.
Java also produces three kinds of cotton, the principal of which is a local variety of G. herba ceum, which yields the sole textile fibre employed by the natives, and is cultivated in almost every part of the island. It is generally planted on the declivities of the hills, after reaping the rice crop, and yields its cotton in less than 3 months. It is a very hardy plant, but its product is coarser and less in quantity than that of the Indian plant. The latter, however, is much more delicate.
The Laos district in Siam produces small quantities, and the climate seems to he favourable, hut labour is wanting.