198 COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. [1849 52. 



CHAP. Chayroot Farm, and by restricting the terms of future Farms 

 ' in such a way as to debar the renters from all lands under 

 cultivation. The matter led to some further correspondence 

 as to the propriety of levying an assessment on the lands 

 producing Cotton, equal to what was levied on lands pro- 

 ducing Chayroot. As however it subsequently appeared 

 that Mr. Lees's experiment had proved a failure, the 

 quantity obtained being insufficient to pay the cost of cul- 

 ture, no alteration was made in the ass essment, and things 

 remained as they were. 



260 Discussion respecting the purchase of American 

 Cotton on Government account from the Ryots of 

 Tinnevelly. In April 1852 a correspondence arose res- 

 pecting the purchase of American Cotton from the Ryots in 

 Tinnevelly. It seems that Mr. Bird, the Collector of Tin- 

 letter, aoth nevelly, had applied to Dr. Wight for som e fifty or seventy 



turn" 0857) k a & s ^ New Orleans Cotton seed, to be distributed amongst 

 P- * 33 - the Ryots ol the district. At the same time Mr. Bird had 

 represented that if the Government would permit him to 

 purchase the produce of the seed on their account at the rate 

 of nine annas a toolam (2| maunds) on the spot, being the 

 rate which had been previously paid by Mr. David Lees, he 

 was satisfied that the Ryots would accept the seed and 

 cultivate it freely ; and he added that unless a certain mar- 

 ket were placed before the Ryots of Tinnevelly, they would 

 never undertake the cultivation of the New Orleans plant. Dr. 

 Wight forwarded Mr. Bird's letter to Government, and re- 

 letter, 29th commended that the authority requested should be granted. 



April 1858. J 



Sri' (i8 R 57) ^- e a ^ so su gg este d tnat > in such case, the Government deci- 

 P. 233. s i on s h ou ld be forwarded to the Manchester Association ; 

 as he believed that the Association would then be induced 

 to establish Agencies themselves for the purchase and growth 

 of exotic Cotton at several stations along the coast, and 

 thus give an impetus to the cultivation, which no amount 

 of Government patronage could supply. 



