b COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. 



CHAP. Above all however it was declared to be essential that 



. the task should be completed with as little delay as possible; 



and upon this point the Supreme Government remarked 

 that " an imperfect compilation, which could be available 

 within the next six months, would be far more useful than 

 one which thoroughly exhausted the subject, but which 

 could not be published till a year hence." 



2 Method pursued in drawing up the present Hand- 

 Book to the Madras Presidency, 28th August. 



By an order of the Madras Government, dated 28th 

 August 1861, the present compiler was directed to under- 

 take the work required by the Government of India, Every 

 facility indicated was fully afforded, and the task was com- 

 menced without delay. Fortunately, the great mass of official 

 records relating to the experiments undertaken by Govern- 

 ment, had been already published in the form ot Reports and 

 Blue books ; and the principal manuscript records to be con- 

 sulted were those which had accumulated after the departure 

 of Dr. Wight from India in 1853. The published records 

 are as follows : 



Reports connected with the Proceedings of the East India 

 Company in regard to the Culture and Manufacture of 

 Cotton work prior to 1836. Octavo. Pages 431. 



Parliamentary Return of Papers, connected with the Mea- 

 sures taken by the Company to promote the cultiva- 

 tion of Cotton in India, 18361847. Folio.Pages 535. 



Ditto, with reference to the Madras Presidency only, 

 18471857. Folio. Pages 419. 



Report from the Select Parliamentary Committee on the 

 growth of Cotton in India ; together with the Mi- 

 nutes of Evidence, &c. 1848. Folio. Pages 615. 



Accordingly, it has been found necessary, in the first in- 



