1852.] DR. WIGHT'S FINAL COTTON REPORT. 207 



Objection of Native spinners to the soft silky fibre CHAP. 



of the New Orleans Cotton- One objection stands in the '. 



way of our expectation, that the cultivation of New Orleans 

 Cotton will supersede the cultivation of Indian Cotton. The 

 fibre of the New Orleans is soft and silky ; that of the In- 

 dian is hard and rigid. The Native spinners have been so 

 long accustomed to work the latter, that they find it diffi- 

 cult to work the soft and silky fibre of the New Orleans 

 Cotton. But this objection is giving way in some districts ; 

 practice overcoming the difficulty. When I first came to 

 Coimbatore, the Bourbon Cotton, which is still softer than 

 the New Orleans Cotton, was not used by the Native spin- 

 ners ; but now they use it to a very great extent. In like 

 manner the New Orleans will come into Native use, when it 

 is more largely produced, and when its price has found a 

 just level and acquired a market standard. 



Difficulty of separating the seed, and prejudice 277 

 against the seed as food for cattle. The only remain- 

 ing impediments to be removed are : 1st, The diffi- 

 culty of separating the seed ; and 2ndly, The prejudice 

 against the seed as food for cattle. It is far more 

 difficult to separate the wool from the New Orleans, 

 than it is to separate the wool from the Bourbon seed. 

 At present the growers of New Orleans Cotton are compelled 

 to sell their whole crop of Cotton with the seed in it, instead 

 of selling the clean Cotton wool only. This trebles the cost 

 of carriage, and prevents the grower from retaining any por- 

 tion for domestic consumption. The other impediment is 

 the prejudice which exists against the use of the New Or- 

 leans seed for feeding cattle. It is considered to be insalu- 

 brious. This prejudice however has already been overcome 

 to a very great extent. 



