1844-45.] MR. WEOUGHTON's SrCCBSSIUL OULTTJEE. 47 



tingencies to guard against ; 2iidly, The soil was more 

 congenial ; and, 3rdly, Labour was mueli cheaper. 

 On the first point he stated that whilst the Indian 

 cultivator had only two evils to dread, the drought 

 and the grate, the American cultivator had six con- 

 tigencies to guard against ; namely, the rot, the rust, 

 the caterpillar, the frost, and storms of wind and rain. 

 On the second point he stated that his land at Oota- 

 camund had yielded nearly 1200 lbs. of seed Cotton 

 per acre, which would give 350 lbs. of clean Cotton 

 wool; whilst the average crop of the best soils in 

 America was only 400 lbs. of clean Cotton wool per 

 acre. But even granting that the productive power 

 of the American soil Was superior, still the cheapness 

 of labour in India would enable the cultivator to pro- 

 duce much cheaper Cotton. In India the cujtivation 

 was peculiarly a family undertaking; little children 

 plucking the Cotton, after a little practice, as well as 

 the women. 



Remunerative demand alone required in India. — 73 

 Mr. Wroughton summed up his remarks by stating 

 that nothing was now required in India but a remu- 

 nerative demand to stimulate the Eyots to the growth 

 of Cotton. For many years the cultivation had been 

 exceedingly neglected. Earely had any attempt been 

 made to produce it as a single crop. In most cases 

 the seed was sown with three or four other kinds of 

 grain, and where it was sown alone, the land was in- 

 sufficiently prepared. Indeed the successful and pro- 

 fitable culture of Cotton required the investment of 

 more capital and harder labour than was encouraged 

 by local circumstances and existing prices. 



Cost of cultivation. — As regarded the cost of culti- 74 

 vation, Mr. Wroughton exhibited the following tables, 

 exhibiting the amount of charges incurred at Ootaca- 

 mund on twenty-two cawnies, or about thirty acres 

 of land ; from which it will be seen that more than 

 25,000 lbs. of seed Cotton, producing nearly 7000 lbs. 

 of wool, were obtained at a cost of £32. 



