oct. — ma. it. 1859-60.] 



Proceedings. 



377 



The wind and the lightness of the Cotton must always be the 

 two most difficult drawbacks, the Cotton will have to overcome. 

 If I had not a spare room in my house, I think, I should have 

 found it very difficult to clean and send any specimen to the Board,. 

 I employed two men on the work for many days, and with all the 

 conveniences and safeguards. I was able to afford the flight of the 

 small follicles of cotton about my house, was very disagreeable. 



4. I enclose a bill for ploughing and sowing the land in the 

 Roshun Baugh, and another for the expenses attendant on the spe- 

 cimen, sent to the Board, amounting to Rs. 30- 10-6 and Us. 40-7-6 

 respectively. The former calls for no observation. 



In regard to the latter, the boxes with tin covers were procured 

 for the purpose of securing and drying the Cotton, and are avail- 

 able for further service. They were however insufficient in 

 size, and on trial I don't think well adapted : low baskets with thin 

 muslin spread over the top, being better adapted to let the rays of 

 the sun penetrate and dry the Cotton. Throwing out these items, 

 and confining the cost of the Cotton to the sum paid for the pods, 

 Rs. 10-6-0, and the sum paid for picking and cleaning them Rs. 

 23-5-0, it will be found that Rs. 33-11-0, were paid for 8,310 pods, 

 or say with those gathered in my own compound 8,400 pods ; and 

 that these pods yielded by my memorandum of the 14th Instant, a 

 fraction short of lb. 30|, being at the rate of about Rs. 1-2-0 per lb. 

 or more than five times the price of the ordinary Indian Cotton in 

 the London market, where it sells at between five pence and six 

 pence per lb. 



5. At the rate of 2 annas per 100 pods, I found the yield abun- 

 dant. More was brought in by the poor people, who went about ga- 

 thering, than I could pick and work off, but at lanna,to whichl reduc- 

 ed the rate, the yield almost stopped ; two annas may therefore be 

 set to be the market price, at which the Board may procure, al- 

 most, if not quite as much as they could possibly wish, without the 

 incidental expenses or trouble of cultivation ; the subsequent ex- 

 penses would be common to either mode of procuring the raw ar- 

 ticle, the only difficulties are the cleaning and packing, and these 

 can only be overcome by personal care and suitable accommodation. 



6. With this information before them, the Board can judge, 

 whether they would like any new plantations to be formed. If such 



