1842.1 Nurma or Chanderi Cotton. 1195 



Nimar think its filament finer : but this I doubt. The specimens I 

 have the honor to send are scarcely worthy to be called such, and should 

 not be relied on, being the produce of isolated trees, the comparative 

 value of which I have no means of ascertaining. The Mhahlie and 

 Goondailah specimens are worthy of reliance. There can be no doubt 

 that the soil and climate of Nimar are capable of producing varieties 

 of cotton vastly superior to the staple of the district, and I believe the 

 same fact has been proved in regard to other tracts of flindoostan. 

 But it seems equally certain, that in order to the introduction of such 

 improvements, a market must in the first place be created for the 

 produce. This it might be well worth the while of Government to 

 effect. Wherever water carriage admits of ready transfer to extensive 

 marts, the demand would speedily render this interference needless. 



Choolie Muhaiswah is a misnomer, only one village in that district 

 having produced the Mhahlie cotton. Dhergaon is the chief gar- 

 den and mart of the Mhahlie, but being an obscure pergunnah, the 

 principal neighbouring town has naturally been used to designate the 

 locality. 



I received the despatch relating to this cotton at the most busy 

 season of the year, when it was impossible for me to quit the station even 

 for a few hours. The rains have since commenced, and the earth being 

 recently manured I think it advisable to await a better season for 

 selecting specimens of the soil. I have detained this report several 

 months, in the hope of sending specimens of the Berar cotton, for which 

 I had written to Nagpore. But owing to a very simple mistake of the 

 merchant, at that place, I am disappointed for the present, as the Mhahlie 

 cotton is said to be sometimes designated Berari, and the soil and 

 climate of Berar and Nimar cannot, I imagine, be very dissimilar, I 

 thought it of consequence to compare together the growth of these two 

 districts, in order to trace the origin of the Mhahlie. 



The climate of Nimar is very equable. The temperature nearly that 

 of Calcutta. It is in the same latitude, and elevated only about 500 

 feet above the sqa. The air, however, is much drier, as might be sup- 

 posed from its inland position, and the springs are seldom nearer than 

 thirty to forty feet to the earth's surface. The formation is trap, 

 occasionally basaltic. I have never heard of this thick crust being 

 completely perforated, whether by human act, convulsions of nature, 



7q 



