76 COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. [CH. III. 



Cotton per acre was much larger than that of Indian 

 Cotton, and at the same time far more valuable in the 

 English market. The real difficulty in the way of 

 inducing the Byots to extend the cultivation of the 

 American Cotton, was the want of a steady demand 

 for the article in the district in which it was grown. 

 That difficulty however was removed for the present by 

 the permission, which had been given to Dr. Wight, to 

 purchase American Cotton from the Byots on account 

 of Grovernment at remunerating prices. 

 124 Failure of the purchase system as regarded Ame- 

 rican Cotton, 1848. — Meantime however the purchases 

 Dr. Wight's of New Orleans Cotton effected by Dr. 

 June r 'i 2 848 Wight were insignificant in the extreme. 

 Pari.'neturn He was by no means sparing in his offers 

 (1857), p. i8i. of high p r i ces< Whilst Native Cotton was 



sold to him at the gin-house for eight annas (or one 

 shilling) a maund of 25 lbs., he had announced that he 

 was prepared to purchase all first-class New Orleans 

 Cotton at double the price, that is, at one rupee (or 

 two shillings) per maund. But still the Natives were 

 so averse to depart from their established customs, that 

 he had only been able to persuade a small number to 

 cultivate the foreign plant. At the same time the 

 Cotton markets in Coimbatore had been so sparingly 

 supplied with purchasers during the two previous sea- 

 sons, that but for the Court's order for 6000 bales of 

 gin-cleaned Native Cotton, the trade must have been 

 almost at a stand-still. # Under such circumstances, 

 Dr. Wight seriously thought of proclaiming throughout 

 the district, that for the future he should only buy Ame- 

 rican Cotton ; and that he was prepared to purchase all 

 of that description which might be offered for sale. 

 He was aware that there were strong objections to this 

 course ; but whilst so many Byots offered their Cotton 



* It seems not improbable that Dr. Wight had himself kept the 

 Native purchasers out of the Coimbatore markets. At Dr. Wight's 

 gin-house the Ryot could obtain a ready sale, liberal prices, and 

 immediate payment for Native Cotton. It was not therefore likely 

 that the Merchants would care to compete with so formidable a 

 rival. They would rather purchase elsewhere, and leave the field 

 open to Dr. Wight. 



