1852.] DR. WIGHT'S FINAL COTTON REPORT. 181 



results. I allude to those trials which are now in pro- 

 gress on the sea coast. These trials have been con- 

 ducted under considerable disadvantages, originating 

 from want of agricultural experience; but still their 

 past success almost leads one to anticipate, that the 

 Sandy soils of the coast will hold the same relation to 

 the American Cotton as the Black soils of the interior 

 hold to the Native plant. 



Previous reluctance of the Eyots to cultivate Ame- 265 

 rican Cotton connected with the existence of the Cot- 

 ton Farms. — I cannot account for the previous unwill- 

 ingness of the Natives of Coimbatore to cultivate 

 American Cotton. It must, however, have been con- 

 nected with the existence of our Farms ; for, whilst 

 they were in full operation, nothing would induce the 

 Ryots to cultivate the American plant beyond a very 

 limited extent ; whereas now that they have been dis- 

 continued the cultivation is rapidly extending. 



Ryots encouraged by their own success to extend 266 

 the cultivation. — The gradual extension of the culture 

 of American Cotton by the Ryots is also to be ascribed 

 to the success of their own experiments. When the 

 Farms were given up in the season 1849-50, the grow- 

 ing crops on them were made over to the Ryots. Those 

 who tended them with care obtained unexpectedly large 

 returns ; and even those who took no trouble, obtained 

 much more than they expected, and much more than 

 they would have done had the land been cultivated, 

 however carefully, with Native Cotton. These successes 

 seem to have satisfied all who were interested in the 

 matter, that there was but little difference between the 

 modes of cultivating American and Indian Cotton, 

 whilst larger returns could be obtained from the former 

 than from the latter. The experience of the current 

 season 1851-52 has greatly strengthened these impres- 

 sions. Two fields of Red soil side by side were both 

 cultivated by Natives, one with Native and the other 

 with American Cotton ; and the Native Cotton only 

 produced about 27 lbs. per acre, whilst the American 

 Cotton produced 57 lbs. Again, two fields of about 

 22 acres, one Black and the other Red, were sown ; the 



