174 COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. [CHAP. Y. 



to do. It seems doubtful whether this reluctance to 

 earn so much, arose from a corresponding reluctance 

 to work, or from a fear lest the rate should be lowered 

 if it was found that they could earn so large an amount 

 per diem. 



255 Three years' progress in the Cotton experiment, 

 1850-52.— During three years, that is from 1849 to 1852, 

 the Cotton experiment seems to have proceeded with- 

 out many references to Grovernment. This is not sur- 

 prising considering the circumstances. Dr. Wight was 

 carrying on his duties in Coimbatore by the express 

 orders of the Court of Directors, and in direct opposi- 

 tion to the opinions expressed by the Government of 

 Sir Henry Pottinger. The gin-house at Coimbatore 

 was sold to Mr. D. Campbell, a Madras merchant, who 

 unfortunately died a few months afterwards. Mean- 

 time Dr. Wight continued to distribute American seed, 

 and to purchase the produce from the Ryots ; and was 

 also engaged in drawing up the final Report, which had 

 been ordered by the Court of Directors. The general 

 progress of the experiment is thus set forth in this Ee- 

 port, which was addressed to the Madras Grovernment 

 Para 263 * n ^ a ^' 1852, and which will be found fur- 

 ther on. During this period some other 



Cotton experiments were carried on in Coimbatore, 

 Tanjore, and Tinnevelly, which are worthy of special 

 notice. 



256 Colonel Lav/ford's cultivation by irrigation in Tan- 

 jore. — Colonel Lawford's successful cultivation of 

 American Cotton in Tanjore by means of irrigation has 

 Para. in. already been mentioned. JSTo results how- 

 ever appear to have followed. In July, 1849, 



fetter^sth Mr * Elton ' the Collector of Tinnevelly, re- 

 July, 1849, commended that a fair trial of Colonel 

 ^857)^*303 I^wfc^d's plan should be tried in his dis- 

 trict, as a comparison of the cost of culture 

 Minutes of "by irrigation with the cost of culture on 



Corisulta- J . P n j i j i 



tion, 12th poonjah or dry lands, could alone prove 

 pSrRetlirn whether the increase in the produce would 

 (1857), p. 305. be sufficient to cover the additional cost of 

 production. But the Madras Government 



