1845-49.] AMEEICAN PLANT IN INDIAN SEASONS. 67 



that India was not too hot for the American plant, 

 since in the Carnatic it had borne unharmed the hot 

 winds of May and June. On the other hand, it was 

 ascertained that the cultivating season in India was if 

 anything too cold ; in other words, that the climate of 

 the Carnatic during the cold months, which formed the 

 Cotton-growing season in India, was actually colder 

 than the summer of Mississippi, which formed the Cot- 

 ton-growing season in America ; the Arjoericans culti- 

 vating from April to November, and the Indian Eyots 

 from September until AprU. In the first instance. Dr. 

 Wight had noticed the great difference between those 

 fields, or portions of fields, which were exposed to 

 the cold ; and those which were warmly sheltered. 

 Again on the change of the monsoon, after the north- 

 easterly rain had ceased, and when the thermometer 

 in the house sunk daily to 60° and 65°, he had observed 

 that all the young plants, the produce of October 

 sowing, ceased to grow though the soil was abxmdantly 

 moist. 



Theory confirmed by a comparison of the tempera- 107 

 ture of Madras with that of Vera Cruz, Mobile, and 

 Natchez. — This theory, that the American plant in 

 India suffered from the cold, was directly opposite to 

 an opinion which had been expressed by Mr. Mercer, 

 an American Planter under the Bombay G-ovemment, 

 who had confidently asserted that India was too hot 

 for the cultivation of American Cotton. It was how- 

 ever fully confirmed by a comparison of a meteorologi- 

 cal register of the Cotton-growing States _ ~. .^, 

 in America with a similar register of Ma- Circular, 

 dras. In Mississippi the sowing com- fgj^^p^f' 

 mences in April ; in the Carnatic the latter Hetum 

 part of September, or even the beginning Smmparel^^" 

 of October, is considered to be the best sow- ^^'VS'"- 

 ing time. The following four Unes of letter, leth 

 figures exhibit the temperature of the Cot- Jg!^' ^^gg 

 ton season in four distinct localities ; viz. 



1. Vera Cruz, 19'12 north latitude, which is one of 

 the native districts of the American plant. 



2. Mobile in Alabama, 3012 north latitude. 



f2 



