1840.] 



Cultivation of Cotton in India, 



commence ffoin the very gathering of the pods. The cotton should 

 never be picked but at the most mature state ; and even then, al- 

 though gathered in the very hottest weather, the seed contains so 

 much moisture that it is well to have it carefully dried immediately 

 afterwards, tw-Q or three days, and before it is set aside ; and care 

 too should be taken that it does not at this time contract dirt and 

 sand in the wool. Before I send it to the mill, it is now my practice 

 to have the pods of cotton, as it is attached to the seed, most carefully 

 examined in the first instance, and all the decayed, damaged, dis- 

 coloured, immature part of it, first separated ; at this stage, proba- 

 bly, not less than one-tenth of the whole is rejected in this way — and 

 it is well rejected ; it is then put to the mill after a little exposure 

 to the sun in the usual way everywhere. But at the same time that 

 the wool is separated from the seed, I have other women always pre- 

 sent to clean it again by hand, as soon as it comes from the mill ; all 

 remaining impurities are better detected at this time than if the wool 

 were previously pressed together again. The wool in this way is mere- 

 ly, I may say, searched, not pulled or broken. Even in this process 

 there is a loss of scarcely less than five per cent. It is a good day's 

 work for one woman to clean by the mill 9f pounds of paruttis, or 

 the cotton with the seeds ; the wool w hich is separated is quite as 

 much as another will manage, giving a produce of 2^ pounds on a 

 large average of very fine and extremely clean cotton, which is im- 

 mediately placed in strong Dungaree bags, until I have enough for a 

 bale. 



Extract of a Letter from Messrs. Fairlie, Bo7iham, and Co., Loudon, 

 22d April, 1817, to George Arthur Hughes, of Tennevelle. 



We enclose the Price-Current of cotton-wool at the present sale 

 at the India House, amongst which it gives us much pleasure to point 

 out your five bales by the Grant, which sold from 2*. Ifo?. to 2s. Ifrf. 

 per pound. 



** The great improvement which this parcel shows to be attainable 

 in the cultivation of the Bourbon species with you, is indeed very en- 

 couraging, and seems to open a fair field to future operations on a more 

 CfXtended scale; you have hitherto succeeded in this instance only, in 

 producing a real equivalent for the Bourbon wool, what v\ e formerly 

 had, being but a distant imitation, and in request only when the true 

 Bourbon was particularly scarce and dear. For it is not the fineness, 

 nor the cleanness of the staple, important as these qualities must always 

 be, that will suffice to raise it to its proper estimation. Evenness of 



