216 COTTON IN THE MADBAS PRESIDENCY. [CHAP. TI. 



throughout this district, viz., ' White Cotton,' is of 

 but one kind. This Cotton is grown in the Black or 

 Begud lands, dependent entirely on the rain ; it is not 

 usual to water Cotton by artificial means. It is cus- 

 tomary to cultivate Cotton in every third year, leaving 

 the land in the two intermediate years for the growth 

 of Cholum (dry grain) crops. Before the rainy season 

 sets in, the land is prepared and kept ready for sowing, 

 by ploughing it twice with the implement called 6 Chin- 

 na Groontaka,' a large hoe drawn by four bullocks. The 

 Begud, or Black lands, of this district generally retain 

 their moisture at a depth of half a yard under the sur- 

 face. When sufficient rain has fallen to soak the upper 

 surface to a depth of half a yard, and so to connect it 

 with the under moist soil, it is considered that the land 

 has received a sufficient supply, and Cotton is accord- 

 ingly sown in it. After the sowing, if rain falls at any 

 time within a month, it is of much benefit to the crop ; 

 but the crop is not dependent on this second fall, if the. 

 ground has been previously fully moistened. Cotton 

 is sown by itself or with corraloo : two rows of the lat- 

 ter grain are sown for every one row of Cotton. Cotton 

 sown by itself, is sown generally about fifteen days 

 later than the sowing of Cotton mixed with corraloo. 

 The land is liable to be overgrown with grass if not 

 kept down; but weeds do not abound generally. 

 332 Geology and Topography. — " The dry lands of this 

 district may be classed into three sorts : — 1st, Black ; 

 2nd, Mixture of Black and Eed ; 3rd, Bed. The soil 

 of the southern Talooks is generally of the two latter 

 descriptions, and that of the western Talooks is of the 

 first and second descriptions. The other Talooks are 

 entirely Black land. Much of the irrigated land is 

 Black, and a portion is mixed with sand, like the second 

 description of dry land, or with salt land. The Black 

 and Mixed soils are free from any rocks or stones, but 

 the Bed land is intermixed with stones and gravels. 

 This Bed land is not fertile soil. When it is cultivated 

 continually for three years, it becomes unfit for cultiva- 

 tion, and must lie fallow for five or six years. White 

 gravel is found at two yards below the ground in Black 



