1845-48.] ME. FINNIE OK COTTON CULTIVATION. 101 



there was no land-tax in America. At the same time 

 he expressed an opinion that a general reduction or 

 abolition of the land-tax on Cotton grounds would 

 neither benefit the Ryots nor extend the culture of 

 American Cotton. There might be individual cases 

 where the land-tax was oppressive, and where the 

 load ought to be removed ; but a general reduction 

 would effect nothing. At present the Ryot goes into 

 debt to the extent of his means : if his means are in- 

 creased, his credit is increased in a like ratio ; and 

 he avails himself of his credit to the fullest extent, 

 and his banker reaps the benefit. Therefore, if Go- 

 vernment did not collect a pice of revenue, the " poor 

 oppressed Indian Ryot" might cease to be the theme 

 of declaimers and grievance mongers, but he would be 

 the "poor oppressed Indian Ryot" still. The only 

 difference would be, that he would change his European 

 master who had tried to deal fairly with him, for a 

 ruthless monied fellow-countryman, whose sense of 

 justice would not be very acute. 



Mr. Einnie's Second Season, 1846-47 : planting oper- 161 

 ations succeeded at Courtallum but failed at Seva- 

 causey. — To return to the narrative of Mr. Finnie's 

 proceedings in Tinnevelly. At the commencement of 

 the second season he planted some New Mr pi nn i e ' S 

 Orleans Cotton at Courtallum, which en- ^tte^&th 

 joyed the benefit of both monsoons, and 24th Sept., 

 also at Sevacausey, which enjoyed the bene- Return^ 1 ' 

 fit of only the north-east monsoon. The (1857), p. 273 

 results are not given in any detail. At and279 - 

 Courtallum only a small quantity was planted ; but 

 though the land was bad, and the cultivation was much 

 neglected by the people who undertook it, yet the crop 

 proved to be of a fine quality, and under the circum- 

 stances produced a good return. At Sevacausey the 

 result was different. Not a plant lived through the 

 long drought which generally prevailed, excepting those 

 which had been sown on one small field, that had been 

 cultivated and irrigated by a Ryot of intelligence and 

 zeal. This field yielded a crop of American Cotton 



