1845 49.] DR. WIGHT'S FOUR YEARS IN COIMBATORE. 85 



of the culture he considered to be fully established, whilst CHAP, 

 the practice had been simplified to the utmost. He there- _ 

 fore proposed, after the close of the season 1848-49, to form 

 a number of small Farms, of from twenty to fifty acres each, 

 to be cultivated by hired labour under the direction of Native 

 Maistries ; in the hope of familiarizing all classes of culti- 

 vators with the improved practice, and satisfying them that 

 American Cotton could be cultivated by their own imple- 

 ments, with as much care, cheapness, and certainty as the 

 Native plant, whilst the produce was far more valuable. 

 At the same time he contemplated diminishing the extent of 

 his own Farms, in order to allow of more leisure for superin- 

 tending the smaller detached ones above described. Mean- 

 time, however, circumstances had arisen which led to his 

 temporary retirement from the Cotton experiment. These 

 will be found narrated in the fifth chapter. But before 

 drawing attention to these matters, it will be necessary to 

 review the proceedings of Mr. Finnie in Tinnevelly, to which 

 accordingly the next chapter will be devoted. 



