then having to lead them back again?" "Yes, I have; but
then they were _natural_ to the soil." I said, "What does manuring
land mean, but putting something into it of which it is deficient?
You don't till a muck-midden. If in stony land stones are
essential for the vigorous growth of the crop, is it not
exceedingly probable that they will be still more beneficial on
stiff land which has no stones in it?"

This is a doctrine I tried many years since to inculcate upon our
friend Mechi, and some of his land (I speak of its condition
twenty years since) needed such a gravelling as much as any land I
ever saw. Whether he adopted my suggestion, or his land remains
in the same condition now as then, I don't know; but if it does, I
would just suggest to him and to all landed proprietors who own
stiff clay lands, if they are near to gravel-pits, to try a small
portion by gravelling it freely, and let us hear the results.

_December 2nd_, 1871.

* * * * *

COTTON.

_June 1st_, 1842.

J. KINDERMANN, ESQ.

I have for some time intended to call your attention to the
importance of attempting to grow fine cotton in Peru, but my
inability to do justice to the subject, both from my being
practically unacquainted with any mode of growing cotton and my
general want of information, has hitherto prevented me; but as I
made you a promise to that effect yesterday, I have endeavoured to
put a few suggestions on paper, and hope that if they be carefully
acted upon, some benefit may be derived from the experiments.

We have been (as you are aware) consumers of Peruvian cotton to
some extent for the last six or eight months, and from the
observations I have made on it during that time, I have no
hesitation in saying that it possesses many excellences: it is
long enough (almost too long), very sound in staple, and where
well managed of a very good colour. Its defects are coarseness and
harshness of staple, and if these could be removed I don't see
what is to prevent its rivalling the Egyptian and Sea Islands
cotton, any considerable approximation to which would very
materially enhance its value, seeing that the highest quotation
for Sea Island, was last week 30d. per lb. (2s. 6d.), whilst the
highest for Peruvian was no more than 6 1/2 d.

With the view of improving the quality of the cotton in Peru, I
would strongly recommend you to send seeds of various kinds,
packed in air-tight boxes, particularly Sea Island and Egyptian,
which