32 COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. [1ST SEASON. 



Relative effects of the Monsoon, the Drought, and 

 the Rain upon the Cotton shrub : difference between 

 the Red and Black soils.— This great and unexpected 

 success is thus accounted for by Dr. Wight. The 

 sowing commenced about the middle of September. 

 In October, whilst the plants were still young and 

 tender, the north-east monsoon commenced, and then 

 the plants outgrew their strength. On the 2nd of 

 November the bright weather set in, and lasted so 

 long, that the plants gradually sickened and drooped, 

 until they appeared burnt up. But meantime the 

 soft juicy wood previously formed, acquired consist- 

 ence and became well matured. The second rains 

 supplied the requisite nourishment and stimulus to 

 renewed growth, and a new formation of flower-buds. 

 Here must be noticed a remarkable difference be- 

 tween the effects of the Black and Bed soils respect- 

 ively upon the cultivation of the plant. Before the 

 second rain in January and February, the Cotton in 

 the Red soil appeared to be in the most favourable 

 condition ; whilst the Cotton in the Black soil seemed 

 to be utterly ruined. After the second rain the state 

 of things was exactly the reverse. The plants in the 

 Black soil were the most flourishing, whilst those in 

 the Bed soil were less productive. Dr. Wight at- 

 tributed these results to the different effects of the 

 rain upon the two soils. During the first rain the 

 Black land caked at the surface, whilst the Bed land 

 was more open, and the water drained freely off. 

 Here then the plant suffered from the caked surface 

 of the Black soil, and profited by the free drainage of 

 the Bed soil. But during the drought the plants 

 were still sustained in the Black soil, because moisture 

 had been retained under the caking. When the 

 second rain fell, it ran off the caked Black soil, but 

 soaked the plants in the Bed soil to an injurious ex- 

 tent: consequently the plants now flourished in the 

 Black land, but drooped in the Bed land. These ob- 

 servations are worth preserving as illustration of the 

 nature of the Cotton plant ; but we shall ultimately 

 see that the Black soil was considered less fit than 

 the Bed for the American varieties. 



