1853-62.] STAGE OP THE COTTON EXPERIMENT. 



195 



the sole obstacle to increased production. — (341.) Improvements in the 

 quality must be effected by the Merchants themselves. — (342.) 3. Cudda- 

 pah : present state of Cotton as reported by Mr. Wedderburn, the Col- 

 lector. — (343.) Detailed report by Mr. Murray, the previous Collector. — 

 (344.) Soil— (345.) Weeds.— (346.) Geology and topography.— (347.) 

 Climate. — (348.) Seed used and whence obtained. — (349.) Character of 

 the Cotton plant. — (350.) Mode of cultivation, time of flowering, weight 

 of Cotton wool per acre, etc. — (351.) Manure. — (352.) Diseases. — (353.) 

 4. Salem : Messrs. Fischer and Co., the only exporters. — (354.) 5. Coim- 

 batore : detailed report of Mr. Thomas, the Collector. — (355.) Soil : 

 Black, Red, and Alluvium. — (356.) Geology and topography. — (357.) 

 Climate. — (358.) Seed used and whence obtained. — (359.) Character of 

 the Cotton plant. — (360.) Mode of cultivation, time of flowering, weight 

 of Cotton wool per acre, etc. — (361.) Manure. — (362.) Diseases. 



(363.) Fourth, Western strip, or Malabar Coast : three Districts. 

 — (364.) 1. North Canara : not a Cotton-producing District. — (365.) 

 Report of the District Engineer on the experimental culture of Mr. 

 Kleinknecht. — (366.) 2. South Canara :.. not a Cotton-producing District. 

 — (367.) 3. Malabar : not a Cotton-producing District. — (368.) Native 

 States : Mysore, Cochin, and Travancore. 



(369.) Conclusion : general results.— (370.) Four general conclusions. 

 — (371.) 1st, American Cotton can be grown, but the profit is question- 

 able. — (372.) 2nd, Indian Cotton may be improved, but only to a degree. 

 — (373.) 3rd, American Cotton must always command a higher price than 

 Indian. — (374.) 4th, The demand for Indian Cotton must always depend 

 upon the supply of American. — (375.) Political and, Commercial prospects 

 of Indian Cotton. 



Stage of the Cotton Experiment, 1853-62.— The ef- 288 



forts on the part of the Madras Government to intro- 

 duce American Cotton and American machinery into 

 the Madras Presidency, virtually closed with the de- 

 1 parture of Dr. Wight from India in 1853. Since that 

 period, some experiments in the growth of American 

 Cotton have been carried out by private individuals, 

 and may be said to have confirmed the general results 

 worked out by Dr. Wight - r namely, that under the 

 conditions set forth in the preceding pages the foreign 

 plant may be successfully cultivated, and a staple pro- . 

 duced far superior to that appertaiuing to the Indian 

 plant. But the question of whether this better-stapled 

 Cotton can be grown with profit to the cultivator, 

 seems as far from solution as ever. Before however 

 offering any comment upon these results, it is advisable 

 to take a general survey of the present condition of the 



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