262 



CHAPTER IV. 



COTTON. 



Cotton, the staple clothing of India. Cotton in the East, and 

 cotton in the West. The superiority of American cotton, 

 due to what causes. Difference between " New Orleans" 

 and " Fair Dhollera." Causes of the inferiority of Indian 

 cotton. The ryot and the middleman. The cotton 

 industry of England in its relation to America and India. 

 The attempts of the Indian Government to introduce the 

 American variety. The deterioration of acclimatized exotic 

 cotton in India. Deterioration of cotton in America. 

 Extract from the Report of the Agricultural Department, 

 Washington. Improvement of the indigenous staple versus 

 the acclimatization of an exotic staple. Cotton cultivation 

 in the Berars, and the influence of railways and roads. 



The rational culture of the cotton plant in India. Soils adapt- 

 able for cotton. Preparation of the soil. The tap-roots 

 of the species " Gossypium." Deep-ploughing. Mr. Rivett- 

 Carnac on deep-ploughing of cotton-fields, and results 

 obtained on the Berar model-farms. Levelling and ridging. 

 Mr. Login on " Ridging" in India. Selection of seed. 

 The time for sowing. Soaking the seed and sowing. 

 Thinning the plants and weeding. Topping. The time 

 ,and mode of gathering. The drying of cotton. Noxious 

 influence of sun and dew. Mr. Login's experiments. Cost 

 and results of the Egyptian method of cotton cultivation. 

 The object of cotton-culture. Improvement of the soil 

 should affect the parts of fructification. Analysis of 

 cotton-wool and cotton-seed. The proportion of phos- 

 phoric acid in " Orleans" and " Surats." Cotton manures. 

 Return of plant and seed to the soil. Professor Hilyard 



