208 COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. [1852. 



CHAP. Nothing wanted to secure a rapid extension of 

 ' the American Cotton culture, but a steady market 



278 an d moderate competition. All that is wanted to 

 secure a rapid extension of the cultivation of the American 

 plant, is a steady market ; and such a moderate competition 

 amongst the merchants as will convince the growers of 

 the reality of the demand. Were such competition esta- 

 blished, I fully believe that twenty thousand acres would be 

 cropped with American Cotton within three years ; and that 

 the cultivation would rapidly extend from Coimbatore to 

 the neighbouring districts. The cultivation is just as 

 simple, and just as well understood, as that of the Native 

 plant, and the cost is not greater ; whilst the crops are 

 in the main just as certain, and the produce far greater 

 and more valuable. Such being the advantages which 

 the American Cotton possesses in the inland districts 

 over the Native staple, it would soon obtain the same 

 general favour among the agricultural community of Coimba- 

 tore, as it has already acquired in Dharwar, if exporters 

 would only stimulate its production by giving it the 

 preference over the Oopum or Native Cotton. 



279 Cotton cultivation on the Coromandel coast : New 

 Orleans, Sea Island, Egyptian, and Brazilian. 



Having thus described the present condition and future 

 prospects of the experiment for denaturalizing the American 

 Cotton in the inland districts of Southern India, it now only 

 remains for me to indicate what has been doing on the 

 Coromandel coast. Here I apprehend will be found a fa- 

 vorable field for the cultivation of several of the most use- 

 ful varieties of foreign Cotton ; particularly the Mexican or 

 New Orleans, the Sea Island, the Egyptian, and the Brazi- 

 lian or Pernambuco. The three last are long stapled Cottons, 

 and fetch high prices in the English market. My remarks 

 however will be less explicit, as I have seen but little of 

 the coast experiment, which is still in its infancy, and which 



