COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. flsi. SEASON. 



perimental cultivation being carried on with the co-operation 

 of Mr Fischer ; 1st, Because he was not in the Company's ser- 

 Despatch v * ce > an( ^ ^ndly, Because they had no desire to interfere with 

 of the Cotton trade, but simply to improve the article ; and the 



?nci ect Nov. expressed views of Mr. Fischer were connected with the 

 Return ' commercial part of the question. The three Planters were 

 sis. ' accordingly removed to the Coimbatore district to carry on 

 ca tain independent operations. Mr. Hawley and Mr. Simpson were 



to cultivate 200 acres in the neighbourhood of the town 

 Auust 30th f Coimbatore; and Mr. Morris was to cultivate a farm 

 Return*" 1 ' of 100 acres at Errode, about fifty-five miles to the north- 

 321. ' east of Coimbatore. 



40 Reported failure in consequence of a heavy mon- 

 soon, January 1842. The American seed, consisting of 

 New Orleans and Sea Island, was sown in September. In 

 the following January the crop appeared to be a failure. 

 The rains of the North-east monsoon had fallen in the 

 beginning of October, and had proved heavier than had been 

 known for years ; but on the 2nd of November the rains 

 ceased altogether, and bright cloudless weather set in. The 

 plants now began to wither away ; the leaves gradually 

 changed their colour to a dark copper brown and became 

 shrivelled, when the branches and bolls began to drop off, 

 and the plant either died, or put forth new shoots and blos- 

 soms which again fell. At this period the plants on the 

 Red soil did better than those on the Black. Meantime the 

 Planters took a gloomy view of the whole experiment. 

 riv's i^uer" ^ T ' Morris expressed his opinion that New Orleans Cot- 

 cember De " ^ on never would grow in India. Sea Island might, he 

 Return" 1 ' thought, be produced upon the sandy coast, near tide 

 ( 338? p> water, so that the land might be manured with salt 

 mud mixed with shells, and enjoy the benefit of the 

 sea breeze. As regarded Indian Cotton, Mr. Morris saw no 

 chance of improving it ; and he believed that the Native 

 mode of cultivation was best adapted to the Native plant. 



