224 COTTOlf IN THE MADEAS PEESIDBNCT. £cHAP. TI. 



348 Seed used and whence obtained. — "The seed used 

 for sowing is obtained from the neighbouring villages. 

 The general use made of Cotton seeds by the Culti- 

 vators is to feed their cattle ; for which purpose they 

 are most excellent. 



349 Character of the Cotton plant. — " The Cotton plant 

 grovm in this part of the country is herbaceous. The 

 Cotton tree grows in the jungles, but the produce is of 

 no use in manufactures, the staple being too short. 

 American and other Cottons have been tried in this 

 district, but have hitherto failed. The Cotton plant is 

 very hardy, provided it does not receive too much rain 

 at the time of sowing. It is a herbaceous plant, which 

 rises to the height of about 3 feet, and extends its 

 branches about 18 inches. The seeds are sown about 

 a foot apart from each other in regular rows, and not 

 unfrequently, horse-gram is sown between the plants. 

 The root of the Cotton plant shoots down perpendi- 

 cularly to the distance of eight inches, and the plant 

 is dependent upon one tap root, from which others 

 diverge. Should this be destroyed, the plant dies. 



350 Mode of cultivation, time of flowering, weight of 

 Cotton wool per acre, etc. — " The land having been pre- 

 viously prepared, the seeds are sown in drills in the month 

 of September, about twelve inches from each other. The 

 night prior to sowing, they are saturated in a solution of 

 fresh cow-dung and water ; they germinate on the fourth 

 day. After attaining a height of eight or twelve inches, 

 labourers are employed in clearing away the weeds, 

 and often in sowing grain between the plants. After 

 the lands have been thoroughly cleared, and when the 

 hot weather is approaching, the plough is run through 

 the drills, and the roots of the plant are banked up. 

 The plant commences to flower about the fourth month, 

 that is, about January and February, as the time of 

 sowing may be ; and the produce is gathered in the 

 months of March and April. There are four pickings ; 

 the first and the fourth are the least, and the second 

 and third the most productive. The average produce 

 per acre may be stated to be eight maunds, or 200 lbs., 

 and the ginned Cotton 50 lbs. 



351 Manure. — " Manure is not in general used for grow- 



