210 COTTON IS THE MADBAS PEESIDENCT. [CHAP. VI. 



321 Seed used and whence obtained. — " Cotton seeds are 

 obtained from those places in the district, where the 

 previous crops had yielded a fall produce of good 

 quality. The seeds are in the first instances exposed 

 to the sun to dry. When sufficiently dried, it is the 

 practice to put them into water mixed with buffaloes' 

 dung, and then they are again dried, and the seeds are 

 now considered ready to be sown in the proper season. 



322 Character of the Cotton plant. — " The Cotton plants 

 in Tinnevelly are herbaceous ; tree Cotton is not grown 

 here. The average height of the plant is 3f feet, and 

 the spread of the branches is 1J feet. The average 

 distance from plant to plant is about one foot. The 

 average spread of roots is one foot in depth and six 

 inches laterally. 



323 Mode of Cultivation, time of flowering, weight of 

 Cotton wool per acre, &c, — " Cotton fields are plough- 

 ed five times between the months of April and Septem- 

 ber. After a good shower of rain, the seeds are sown 

 generally between the months of September and Oc- 

 tober. The distance at which the plants are placed 

 apart is about one foot. The weeds are removed three 

 times during the growth of the Cotton plant. The 

 total amount of labour bestowed upon weeding may be 

 valued at about Rupees li (3s.) per acre. The plants 

 flower in the month of December or J anuary. Picking 

 commences in February and ends with April. If after 

 this any rain falls, a further picking takes place in 

 June and July. The weight of Cotton fibre is to the 

 product per acre about 86 lbs. ; weight per hand em- 

 ployed is 6 lbs. 



324 Manure. — " There is not any Cotton seed returned to 

 the soil in the form of manure, nor are the stalks al- 

 lowed to decay on the field. The land under Cotton 

 cultivation is manured with cattle dung. 



325 Diseases. — " When the Cotton plants come to bearing, 

 they are subject to two kinds of diseases ; the first is 

 called in Tamil " Sambulnoye," and the second " Can- 

 joorumnoye." When the first-mentioned disease prevails, 

 the yield becomes very indifferent ; and if the last- 

 named disease exists, the pods drop off entirely. Un- 



