1S37-] 



Remarks on the Cultivation of Cotton. 



93 



Madura. — The cultivation here is the same as that generally 

 pursued elsewhere. The ground is repeatedly ploughed, and ma- 

 nured, in the usual way, by penning sheep on it, and at the 

 setting in of the rains in September and October the sowings com- 

 mence. The gathering season of the earlier sown is from Janu- 

 ary until the middle of April, and of the latter from February to 

 May. The produce varies exceedingly in different talooks. In the 

 northern parts of Ramnad it is only about 176 lbs. per acre. In Palle- 

 muddum, another division, it is about 226 ; while in Terumungalum, the 

 best cotton country of the district, it amounts to 391 lbs. and is of the 

 finest quality, much of it being exported under the denomination of 

 "Fine Tinnevelly," and, as I have been informed by a trader, is among 

 the best exported under that name. Much of the light calcarious soils 

 along the gulph of Manar will probably be found well adapted for the 

 cultivation of American cotton, in which case the facility of export will 

 give it a very decided advantage in bringing it into foreign markets. 



Tinnevelly. — In this, as in all the other districts, the black soils en- 

 joy the preference for annual country cotton ; the lighter loamy ones 

 for triennial. The sowing commences at different seasons. In the 

 north western talooks, between July and September, according to the 

 weather ; in the eastern from October to December. Both the Bourbon 

 and American cottons are now cultivated to a considerable extent in this 

 district, in light alluvial, and red, soils, apparently with much success, 

 but the comparative advantages resulting from the foreign and indige- 

 nous sorts are only known to the cultivators. There appears, so far as 

 I could discover, no peculiarity in the method of culture of either. It is 

 probable much advantage will be found to result from the introduction 

 of the Sea Island and New Orleans varieties on the coast, as there is 

 every facility in procuring calcarious manure from the abundance of 

 shells and madrepores to be found there. The latter are now sometimes 

 used as a building stone, or burned for mortar, but, pounded, they would 

 perhaps prove even more useful as a manure. Both these kinds may 

 also, I believe, be introduced with success on the Islands off the coast, 

 and thus render these barren wastes profitable farms. I would recom- 

 mend this hint to the attention of those who have the opportunity of 

 trying the experiment. 



P. S. — After the preceding observations were in the printer's 

 hands, I fortunately met with a report of a special committee 

 of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society* of India, detailing 

 a series of experiments, undertaken under its direction to determine 



* Trans, vol. 2, Appendix. 



