d from the fact
that the United States Department of Agriculture has recorded about
one hundred and thirty varieties. The most important varieties are:
_Gossypium herbaceum_, _G. arboreum_, _G. hirsutum_, _G. barbadense_,
and _G. peruvianum_. The botanical name of a plant is divided into two
parts: first the family name, followed by the species name.

The _Gossypium herbaceum_ grows from four to six feet in height and
bears a yellow flower. The seeds are covered with a short gray down.
The fiber it bears is classed as short. It is found in Egypt, Asia
Minor, Arabia, India, and China. The short-stapled variety of Egyptian
cotton is from this species.

The _G. arboreum_ when full grown attains a height from fifteen to
twenty feet. The seed is covered with a greenish fur and is enveloped
in a fine, silky down, yellowish white in color. It is found in Egypt,
Arabia, and China.

The _G. hirsutum_ is a shrubby plant, its maximum height being about
six feet. The young pods are hairy, and the seeds are numerous and
covered with a firmly adhering green down. It is probable that this is
the original of the green-seeded cotton which is now cultivated so
extensively in the Southern States of America, and which forms the
bulk of the supply from that source.

The _G. peruvianum_ is similar to the _G. barbadense_. The Brazilian
and Peru cottons are from this species.

The _G. barbadense_ grows from six to fifteen feet high; its flowers
are yellow and its seeds black and smooth, being quite destitute of
the hair that distinguishes other members of the species. It is a
native of Barbadoes or has been cultivated there for a long time.
Cottons of the finest texture belong to this species--Sea Island and
Florida cottons--from which our finest yarns are spun, and it is used
chiefly in the manufacture of fine lace. The long-stapled Egyptian and
several other varieties are said to be from this stock.

=Cotton Growing Countries.= The most suitable situation for growing
cotton is between 35 degrees north and 40 degrees south of the
equator. The chief cotton growing countries of the world in order of
importance are: United States, India, Egypt, and Brazil. Cotton is
also grown in the following countries, but in no quantity or quality
comparable with the four named above--West Indies, west coast of
Africa, Asia Minor, China, and Queensland.

The best soil for growing cotton is a light loam or sandy soil, which
receives and retains the he