1849.] RESUMPTION OF THE COTTON EXPERIMENT. 185 



have adopted a course, which could scarcely fail to produce CHAP, 

 an impression, both in India and in England, that they had _ 

 become less earnest in promoting the object, equally impor- 

 tant to both countries, of obtaining from India a supply of 

 Cotton suited to the requirements of the English manu- 

 facturers. 



Dr. Wight's services to be retained : Mr, Finnie's 240 

 dispensed with. The Court of Directors then ordered 

 that the Coimbatore Farms should, if not too late, be culti- 

 vated according to the plans laid down by Dr. Wight ; and 

 that at the close of the season, both the lands, and the ma- 

 chines and implements, should be delivered over at a fair valu- 

 ation to any company of Merchants and Planters who might 

 offer to continue the experiment. As regarded Dr. Wight, 

 they considered that before giving up the superintendence 

 of the Cotton experiments, he should be called upon to fur- 

 nish a clear and connected account of the experimental cul- 

 tivation on the Coimbatore Farms, and in other parts of the 

 Madras Presidency ; together with such observations as his 

 scientific and practical knowledge might enable him to sup- 

 ply as to the causes of success or failure. Such a report, they 

 said, could not fail to be a useful document, as a guide for 

 those who might be hereafter engaged in similar undertak- 

 ings. As regarded leaving future operations in the hands of 

 the Collectors, the Directors remarked that little could be 

 accomplished by those officers, unless the latter could look 

 to some properly qualified officer to direct their proceedings, 

 and to digest and methodize such results as might be obtain- 

 ed. Again, considerable advantage was to be expected from 

 the experiments which had been in progress under the su- 

 perintendence of Dr. Wight throughout the Presidency, with 

 the view of ascertaining the most suitable time in the year 

 for sowing the American seed ; and such experiments would 

 be of little avail, unless the officer, by whose suggestions they 



