JULY — sett. 1S57.] Graphite in Tramncore. 



295 



(1st.) Nature and depth of the soil as to dryness or moisture reten- 

 tiveness. what other crops are grown in it, is it deemed very fertile, any 

 special weeds ? 



(2d.) Geological and topographical character of the District, nature 

 of underlying rock, level ahove the sea, well or ill-drained naturally ? 



(3d.) Climate (especially as regards rains, their amount and the sea- 

 sons at which they fall), is irrigation employed, when and how long in the 

 year ? 



( 1th.) Kind of seed used and whence obtained. 



(5th.) General character of plant whether herbaceous or tree cotton ? 



(6th.) Average height of plant and spread of branches, distances 

 from plant to plant ? 



(7th.) Average spread of roots in depth and laterally ? 



(8th.) Mode of cultivation, time of planting, distance at which 

 plants are placed apart, amounts of labor bestowed upon weeding during 

 growth time, of flowering time, of picking, duration of picking, Sec, 11 gin- 

 ned"' cotton fibre produced per acre, weight produced per hand employed. 



(9th.) Manure used, if any Colton seed returned to the soil. Stalks 

 allowed to decay on the field. 



(10th.) Diseases or ravages of insects to which the plant is subject. 

 Some samples of the " ginned" cotton ready for market might be use- 

 fid as affording by comparison with the raw fibre an idea of the degree of 

 care with which the seed is separated. The value of the fibre depends to 

 a very great extent upon the attention given to this mechanical prepara- 

 tion. 



Graphite in Tr a van core. 



(Extract of a letter dated Trevandrum, 10th July 1857, from Lieut. General W. 

 CuXJJOf, Resident at Travancore and Cochin to E Maltby, Esq., Acting 

 Chief Secretary to Government, Fort Saint George ) 



" In continuation of former*' communications on the existence of 

 Graphite in Travancore, I have now the honor to report that I 

 have just returned from a visit to the locality from whence the 

 specimens were procured by me, though presented by Mr. John 

 Loch, for the Exhibition in London in 1851 : and I have brought 

 in with me upwards of a ton of the ore, and out of which I ex- 



* Vide p. 257, Vol. I. No. II. N. S. of this Journal.- Ed. 



