86 



COTTON-WOOL. 



,^^^"^^5"*^""^ each farm to consist of about four hundred acres 



Madras Board 



of Trade, of ffood cotton soil, iu that part of the district 



17 May 181.9. ^ ^ 



where a proper supply of water may be most 

 easily procured^ the rent and expense of cultiva- 

 tion being- paid by the Commercial Resident. 

 After the selection of the farms, the Board would 

 propose that the Commercial Residents should 

 lose no time in making their arrangements for pre- 

 paring the ground at the proper time for planting 

 the seed in the ensuing season, by which time the 

 Board w ould endeavour from different quarters to 

 obtain the best description of seeds. The Board 

 are aware, that it never could answer the purpose 

 of the Honourable Company to become the growers 

 of their cotton investment ; it is to be understood, 

 therefore, that the plan here proposed is experi- 

 mental only, having for its object, the discovery 

 how far the most approved cottons of other 

 countries will thrive in these provinces, and the 

 means of ascertaining, under careful European 

 management, the result of cultivating new and 

 approved kinds of cotton in those districts, which, 

 as far as enquiry has gone, are considered the 

 most productive, and of comparing the same with 

 the indigenous product of each district. The 

 experiment would also ensure the supply of a 

 fresh and good stock of seed, of the description 

 that may be found best to answer for distribution 

 generally in those districts, and it would be a 

 ground -work for introducing the same system of 



cultivation 



