1848-49.] DISCUSSION OTBE. WIGHT AND ME. TINNIE. 147 



botany is concerned, I yield to your superior know- 

 ledge. iSecqndly, I may remark that I have planted 

 the American Cotton in every possible way, but it all 

 looks wrenched ; except some that is sown in Bed land 

 .among palmyra trees, and those that are most pro- 

 tected by the hedge look the best. I merely state 

 these as facts, and base nothing on them either for or 

 against the success of the plant in this country. Both 

 the Bed and Black lands, especially if well manured, 

 would produce Cotton, if at the same time they en- 

 joyed the climate of Mississippi. Tou say that this 

 locality (Tinnevelly and Madura) is more ^favourable 

 for the culture of American Cotton than the vicinity of 

 Coimbatore. But this is opposed to your own reports. 

 Here the soil is Black, and you have always asserted 

 that the Black land is tinsuited for the Amtsrican Cot- 

 ton ; and it was on this very account that you removed 

 your experimental farms to a locality where there is 

 nothing but Bed land, and which moreover has the 

 benefit of both monsoons. How then can you assert 

 that the plant will grow here in Black land, which only 

 enjoys the benefit of one scanty monsoon ? I think that 

 an experiment of seven years, like yours at Coimbatore, 

 is amply sufficient ; and I hope G-overnmeint will send 

 you out in the open plains to try your skUl in the 

 Black and Bed soils with only one monsoon. If the 

 culture of American Cotton is ever to confer the 

 expected benefit on India and England, we must get 

 out of the little oases at the foot of the hUls, and spreajl 

 it over the length and breadth of the land. As regard 

 the gins, the band did not run properly, and the ByQt 

 in charge made them carry a leathern rope instead ; 

 but I deny that either of the gins were in any way 

 injured. 



Dr. Wight's explanations, 30tli January. — Tou are 216 

 correct in saying that in 1846 I recom- Dr. Wight's 

 mended the purchase of churka-eleaned jaJfil*^^ 

 Cotton, in order that it might be tried Pari.'Eettim 

 together with ginned Cotton by English (i86T).P-2«s. 

 spinners. This suggestion was approved both by the 

 Madras Government and the Court of Directors ; but 



h 2 



