62 ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 
To me it appears that much might be done towards the attainment of this object, 
According to the system usually pursued in native husbandry, the soil is rarely, if ever, 
manured, is but indifferently ploughed, the seed are never changed, but that from the 
same stock constantly resown, and that too broad cast usually, so thick that the plants choak 
each other in their growth, the young shoots are never topped,in short nothing is done hav- 
ing a tendency to improve the quality or increase the quantity of the produce by invigorating the 
plant while the land is still farther exhausted and the plants still more choaked, by crops of other 
grain being taken off, while the cotton is advancing to maturity, and when the cropis at length 
ready to gather, no care is taken in the gathering to keep it clean and free from dry and broken 
leaves, and what is much worse, when a great demand for the article exists, the ryots have even 
been known to gather the green pods and ripen them in the sun, in place of allowing them to 
ripen and open on the stalk, much to the injury ot the good name of Indian cotton, more especial- 
ly of that of Tinnevelly, which used to be in high esteem, but has, I am told, recently fallen into 
disrepute owing to that cheat having being practised in 1333-4. Ought we not then to endea- 
vour, to the utmost, to elevate the culture of the indigenous cotton, and by ascertaining its intrin- 
sic value and cost of production, determine by comparative returns the respective value to 
the country of the two kinds ; for it may be found that our cottons make a better return to the 
country at 6d, than the American ones do at 8d. per pound, owing to the much smaller cost 
of production and larger amount of produce from the same extent of lan 
These however are points which I am certain will never be ascertained while the culture i 
