144 COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. [_ CHAP - T 



which you are so anxious, I have the pleasure to men- 

 tion for your gratification, that I have induced many 

 Natives to plant a little. Some have planted it by 

 itself throughout entire fields ; others have sown it 

 with grain ; others, again, have scattered the seed 

 among the Native Cotton, with the hope that the 

 stamina of the American may mingle their pollen with 

 that of the Native plant, and thus gradually produce a 

 hardier plant than the American, and one more pro- 

 ductive and of finer staple than the Indian. 

 214 Dr. Wight to Mr. Finnic, 15th November: "Your 

 purchase of Churkaed Cotton is illegal, your culture 

 of American Cotton unsatisfactory, and your ginning 

 too expensive." — In reply to your letter, I have to 

 Dr. Wight's notice your purchase of churkaed Cotton, 

 letter, loth your inducing Natives to plant American 



JN ov,, 1848. J • * ■ ' m a i 



Pari. Return Cotton, your sowing two species together 

 (i8o7),p.i99. f- 0D tain a cross, and your ginning oper- 

 ations. As regards the purchase of churkaed Cotton I 

 can offer no opinion ; as the purchase of a marketable 

 article in the bazaar is forbidden by the Company's 

 Charter, and would require the special sanction of Go- 

 vernment. As regards your having induced some Na- 

 tives to grow American Cotton, I am not gratified. 

 You were not sent to Tinnevelly for that purpose, but 

 to show the people how to conduct the culture ; and I 

 consider that so long as you stand aloof as a mere 

 looker-on, you do not fulfil your obligations to the 

 Madras Government to serve it as an American 

 Planter. For myself I feel satisfied that the locality 

 you occupy is much more favourable than Coimbatore 

 for the production of New Orleans Cotton ; and I 

 think that had the ground been differently occupied 

 during the past three years, the result would have 

 proved more satisfactory there than it has proved in 

 Coimbatore. But the fact is, that you compromised 

 yourself long ago, by declaring that you were convinced 

 that it w r as a " folly " to try and make American Cot- 

 ton grow in Madura or Tinnevelly ; and now you will 

 not try, lest you should ruin the reputation you 

 imagine yourself to possess. Whilst however you do 



