162 Topographical and Statistical Account of 



decessor, about fourteen years ago,, I glean the following 

 information regarding a piece of cotton soil. 



It measured eight seers of koorakan, which, as before 

 shewn, is equal to thirty-two of cotton. A man was employed 

 forty days in cutting down the jungle, twenty more in lop- 

 ping, and twenty-five in burning it, and removing the rubbish. 

 The soil being good, the plants attained a height of six feet. 

 This chena yielded 30 wellys of cotton in the first season? 

 and this was about four bullocks' load, worth six shillings and 

 eight pence per load ; the cotton is sold with the seeds un- 

 removed. 



One person will, in a day, clear a welly from its seed, 

 and in four days will spin it into thread. This quantity is 

 sufficient for a piece of cloth ten cubits long, and four spans 

 broad. A weaver will complete this in three days, and 

 receives in payment one and a quarter parrahs of koorakan, 

 or half this quantity of paddy. It is to be observed, that 

 there is not and never was a tax on cotton cultivation, so 

 the above information may be looked upon as tolerably correct. 

 From it we learn, that in 1838, a man's labour was freely 

 given during at least eighty-five days to the working of a 

 chena, the produce of which sold for £1. 6s. ScL, which 

 would give about 3fd. per diem ; but the cultivator, after 

 reaping his koorakan, had to watch the cotton for nearly 

 seven months, and had to collect, dry, and pack the pro- 

 duce. 



At present, the people seldom get more than three shillings 

 for a load of cotton ; this is attributed to the vast quantities 

 of cloth now imported from India and England. 



Being anxious to multiply as much as possible the varieties 

 of plants on which the people depend, I applied for, and 

 obtained from Government, two sacks of Bourbon and New 

 Orleans cotton seed, which I am now distributing among the 



