T6 COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. [1845 49. 



CHAP, the state of the crop calls for a high temperature, we have 



1_ it about the lowest, being nearly six degrees lower than 



the mean temperature of Mississippi at the same stage. This 

 state of things must prove more or less injurious to the 

 health of a plant so tenacious of heat and light. 



109 SecondResult: Carnatic not too dry, confirmedby a 

 comparison of mean rain fall. Another important 

 fact was ascertained at this time. Mr. Finnie, the American 

 Planter, had asserted that the climate of the Carnatic 

 was much too dry ; and that we could not expect to succeed 

 in the culture of American Cotton, excepting in such places 

 see r>aras as P ar took of the rains of both monsoons. This theory how- 

 ever was completely disproved, and the opposite one esta- 

 blished. The experiment already indicated was tried in the 

 Carnatic at a season when the American plant had to struggle 

 against a four-months uninterrupted drought, a very rare 

 circumstance ; but even under such unusual conditions, the 

 plant not only survived the unusual drought, but when the 

 rain did fall, it grew vigorously and produced a good crop. 

 This result is further confirmed by a comparison of the 

 monthly mean falls of rain in Florida and Madras during 

 the Cotton growing seasons in both countries ; from which it 

 will be seen, that the climate of the Carnatic as compared 

 with that of the Cotton growing country of Florida, is the 

 more humid of the two. 



127,133. 



HO Two Methods of cultivating American Cotton in 

 India: adaptation of seasons, and artificial irriga- 

 tion. Two methods suggested themselves for adapting the 

 American Cotton plant to the Indian seasons. 1st, The ar- 



