80 



COTTON IN THE MADEAS PBESIDEKCY. [1ST SEASON. 



Tinnevelly," which no one could mistake for American. — (199.) Large 



shipments of Churkaed Cotton contrary to the orders of the Directors 



(200.) Dr. Wight's system of purchase compared with that of Mr. Fin- 

 nie's. — (201.) Madras Chamber of Commerce confirm Dr. Wight's valu- 

 ation of Mr. Fiunie's Cotton. — (202.) Manchester Commercial Association 

 pass a similar judgment upon the Cotton. — (203.) Fourth season, 1848-49 : 

 proposed extension of planting operations. — (204.) Mr. Finnie's matured 

 judgment against the culture of American Cotton or use of the American 

 Gin. — (205.) Pronounces in favour of the Indigenous Cotton and Native 

 Churka. — (206.) Native Cotton should first be threshed, next churkaed, 

 and finally cleaned by hand. — (207.) Erection of Mr. Finnie's Gin-house 

 and Driving Machinery at Sevacausey. — (208.) Relative cost of the 

 Churka, the Hand-gin, and the Cattle-gin.— (209.) Mr. Finnie refused 

 permission to extend his operations to Coimbatore. 



126 Labours of Mr. Finnie and Dr. Wight compared. — 



In the two preceding chapters, we have seen Dr. 

 Wight engaged in Coimbatore in endeavouring, by 

 successive experiments, to lay down the true principles 

 of Cotton culture in the Madras Presidency ; and also 

 in endeavouring, by large purchases from the neigh- 

 bouring Eyots, to fulfil the order of the Court of 

 Directors for 6000 bales of ginned East India Cotton. 

 Meantime, that is, during the second period of four 

 years, extending between 1845 and 1849, Mr. Finnie 

 had been engaged in a totally different line of opera- 

 tions in the South. From the very first, the latter 

 gentleman evidently had no heart in the efforts that 

 were being made to introduce the cultivation of Ame- 

 rican Cotton and the use of the American Machinery 

 into this Presidency ; but whether he acted from a 

 sincere conviction of their inutility, or whether, as a 

 patriotic American Planter, he systematically endea- 

 voured to throw cold water upon the objects in view, 

 must be entirely left to the judgment of the reader. 

 It will be sufficient to say that, as regarded both the 

 New Orleans plant and the saw gin, he did as little as 

 he possibly could ; and that, if he exerted himself at 

 all, it was chiefly to vaunt the Native Cotton and the 

 Madras churka. In other respects however the narra- 

 tive of his labours will prove highly valuable. As a 

 Planter, he possessed a practical knowledge of Ameri- 

 can Cotton cultivation as it was carried on in the 



