ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 59 
isa country, apparently enjoying every advantage for its successful culture, one from which by 
far the best cotton has hitherto been derived, and which, contributes nearly 8 tenths of the 
quantity imported into England: realiziag there, for her most ordinary kinds, from 20 to 30 per 
cent. more than the average prices of all those sorts. of East Indian extraction, technically 
known under the name of Surats. Is it probable that we shall ever be able to accomplish this 
object? and if so, by what means are we most likely to succeed in so far improving the staple 
of our cottons, as to place them on a par with those of America? These are important questions 
to this, as a productive country, and as such, ought, especially the first, to be well considered 
before an answer is given, since, if in the negative, it might have the effect of discouraging 
enterprise, and thereby, very materially tending to establish its own correctness, while, on the 
other hand, if answered confidently in the affirmative, might have the effect of leading to very 
injurious expenditure in a hopeless speculation. 
The plan and limits of this work, not less than the short time allowed by the rapidly 
revolving months to devote to the elaboration of a comprehensive article on the subject, pre- 
vents me taking it up in all its bearings, I shall, however, endeavour to present a summary 0 
what has been ascertained, and thence proceed to deduce such conclusions as will, I trust, prove 
a safe guide to future cultivators. 
{ stated above that in the English market even the cheapest sorts of American cotton, 
usually sell, from 20 to 30 per cent. higher than the East Indian sorts or ‘ Surats’ as they 
are technically denominated in the Price Currents. Under these circumstances it became de- 
sirable that measures should be adopted to improve the Indian staples, with the view of placing 
them upon a more equal footing with the American, and the most obvious means of doing so 
appeared to be, to import seed and cultivate the American plant in India. It was, however, 
objected to this plan that as the Indian cloths, were more lasting or wore better than those 
fabricated from American cotton, that the Indian cotton was in reality better than the Ameri- 
can, and that if more pains were bestowed on its cultivation, so as to render it a more market- 
able article, that it would from its own intrinsic merits supercede the latter. This ob- 
jection was however readily answered by assuming, which is probably the fact, that the supe- 
riority of Indian cloth was not so much attributable to the quality of the cotton, as to its being 
used in amore favourable condition, and still more, by its not being injured by the application 
of acids, &c. in the bleaching. 
On these grounds, and on the supposition that it might be easier to improve the cultiva- 
tion by inculcating a little additional care in the management of a new and higher priced arti- 
cle, than by attempting to introduce any alteration in the management of one, which had been cul- 
tivated from time immemorial, and though not according to the most approved system, yet well 
enough to answer every useful purpose. Under this last view of the case, which to the best of my 
knowledge is strictly correct, it seems desirable to introduce as far as possible, the cultivation of 
some of the foreign sorts, were it for no other purpose than to establish improved modes 
of 
the method of cleaning the produce as practised in America, was sent out in the course of that 
commonly attendant on first attempts, the greater part spoiled and failed to vegetate, and 
of that which did grow much was afterwards lost, some owing to Improper soils having 
