186 COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. [CHAP. T. 



can Cotton, than they are at present in the cultivation 

 of the Indigenous plant. In Coimbatore, the Ameri- 

 can Cotton sown during the autumnal showers of 

 August and September has yielded very fair returns ; 

 whilst the Native Cotton, which was not sown until 

 the commencement of the north-east monsoon in 

 October or November, has generally failed. The north- I 

 east rains only lasted a week ; and consequently were 

 sufficient to bring the more advanced American plants 

 into bearing, but were insufficient for the Indian plants 

 which were only just sown. In a word, I have no 1 

 hesitation in stating it as my conviction, that the 

 American Cotton may and will become as thoroughly § 

 naturalized in Southern India as the Native species ; 

 and that on the average it will be quite as productive 

 on the Black soils, and infinitely more on the light 

 Sandy loams. 



276 Objection of Native spinners to the soft silky fibre 

 of the New Orleans Cotton. — One objection stands in 

 the way of our expectation, that the cultivation of 

 New Orleans Cotton will supersede the cultivation of 

 Indian Cotton. The fibre of the New Orleans is soft 

 and silky ; that of the Indian is hard and rigid. I 

 The Native spinners have been so long accustomed to 

 work the latter, that they find it difficult to work the 

 soft and silky fibre of the New Orleans Cotton. But 

 this objection is giving way in some districts ; practice 

 overcoming the difficulty. When I first came to Coim- 

 batore, the Bourbon Cotton, which is still softer than 1 

 the New Orleans Cotton, was not used by the Native 

 spinners ; but now they use it to a very great extent. | 

 In like manner the New Orleans will come into Native 

 use when it is more largely produced, and when its j 

 price has found a just level and acquired a market j 

 standard. 



277 DifELculty of separating the seed, and the prejudice | 

 against the seed as food for cattle. — The only remain- 

 ing impediments to be removed are : — 1st, The diffi- 

 culty of separating the seed ; and 2ndly, The prejudice 

 against the seed as food for cattle. It is far more I 

 difficult to separate the wool from the New Orleans, j 



