226 COTTON IN THE MADKAS PRESIDENCY. [1853 62. 



CHAP, of what it was ten years ago. Mr. Cadell, the Collector, as- 

 ' cribes these results to the unremunerative nature of the crop, 

 the uncertainty of the produce, and the labour and expense 

 of preparation arising from the absence of any cheap and 

 efficient machinery. He is also inclined to think that the 

 soil of the District is not very favorable to the plants, un- 

 less it can be irrigated ; and when the means of artificial 

 irrigation can be commanded, the landholders prefer the 

 cultivation of rice to the exclusion of almost every other 

 article. 



304 (7) Madura: detailed report from the Collector. 



Madura is a Cotton growing district, though nob one of the 



four great Cotton districts of the Presidency. The average 



number of acres under this cultivation during the last three 



years is about 76,000 acres. The following information 



respecting the culture, was supplied three or four years back 



Mr.Hatha-by Mr. Hathaway, the Collector of Madura, in answer to an 



terf* ^th application for certain data connected with the growth of 



858 ' the Indian plant, which had been forwarded to the late 



Court of Directors by Dr. Mallet, Professor of Chemistry in 



the University of Alabama U. S. 



305 Soil. " The soil in which the Cotton is raised is Black, 

 and of a slimy nature, being very retentive of the moisture ; 

 and if the periodical rains commence in August and continue 

 till January, this moisture will penetrate the earth to a depth 

 of two feet and a half. By the commencement of January, 

 the moisture is reduced to a depth of four inches, and disap- 

 pears altogether by the 1st of March. In some parts the Kyots 

 raise along with Cotton the following dry crops, cori- 

 ander, horse-gram, varagoo, cumboo, thenie, dholl, and 

 cummin. These thrive if the periodical rains fall; but 

 many of the Eyots consider such a practice of mixed sowing 

 prejudicial ; as Cotton itself cannot be grown two consecu- 

 tive years in the same field. 



