One very important point ought to be noted in connexion with the lefter appearing last week, signed "Clogs,"? en the subject of cotton in China. He pointed out that attempts in the past to improve the cotton grown in the country, so far from achieving their object, had apparently resulted in degeneration, and asked whether present efforts from >the work of students. in to meet a better fate. Even giving heed to what goes on to-day in the way of adulteration and the like, it may frankly be hoped so. Take, for instance, the case of Shensi cotton, originally produced from American seed. The principal defect with it to-day appears to be that so very little of it is real Shensi, that a considerable part of every picul brought to Shanghai consists of inferior grades mixed with the original and sold at the price which Shensi commands. That is what our spinners have to contend against, but it does not offer conclusive proof that the actual Shensi cotton has deteriorated to the extent suggested. As far as the agricultural colleges are concerned, it is too early yet to say how far they will benefit tite cotton produced in China, and admittedly that work will be very difficult. But if it can be proved to farmers that they can get substantially higher prices for improved cotton, and that it is not necessary to water it to secure a handsome return for labour, there ought to be hope for a better condition of affairs in the country. On the whole we fancy it would be more correct to say that the cotton has not deteriorated so much as the morals of certain of -the classes through whose hands it passes before being sold to the mills.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.