PRODUCT OF AND FOR AMERICA. 37 



little effort made to obtain the best cotton from India, or 

 even the middling qualities in a clean state. Mr. Mer 

 cer and Mr. Finnic, American planters, state &quot; that an 

 inferior and dirty cotton is the most profitable article to 

 the native trader, and even to the European merchants 

 and Mr. Petrie, before the cotton committe stated 

 &quot; Cotton that would be sold in England at 4| pence per 

 lb. ? and cotton that would only bring 3 pence, will sell 

 in India within 3 to 4 per cent of the same value. The 

 cultivators know this, and therefore they have no object 

 in bestowing more care and labor.&quot; Mr. Read, commis 

 sioner of Benares division, wrote 16th August, 1848 : 

 &quot; In this division, the cultivation of cotton is little more 

 than nominal, it is most commonly mixed up with other 

 crops, it is nowhere carefully attended to ; in many 

 places it is an object of superstitious aversion, and often 

 when the plant contrives to struggle to maturity it is 

 left, after being stripped of a portion of the bolls, enough 

 to supply domestic purposes, to be devoured by cattle.&quot; 

 Evidence to this effect might be produced ad infinitum. 



Mr. Bruce, in a letter dated loth March, 1848, says : 

 If the associations and manufacturers who have been 

 memorializing and soliciting the authorities in England, 

 regarding the increase of cultivation of cotton in India, 

 actually wish for it, and will guarantee that all that may 

 be produced through my exertions in this country will be 

 taken by them, and paid for here, and will send out re 

 sponsible agents to receive charge of the cotton, either 

 here or at Calcutta, I will engage and undertake to pro 

 duce for them as much real good marketable cotton as 

 they may require, and not cost them, when landed in 

 England, more than about 31 pence per lb., which I 



