COTTON IN CACHAR AND DACCA. 
315 
On a specimen of Cotton gathered in 
the Boglepore district from a shrub in 
its wild state, by F. Hunter. 
Use of the Sawgin, by F. MacNaugh- 
TEN, Esq. Cotton of Ava. Cotton of 
Cachar, by Capt. S. Fisher. On 
Cotton grown in Cuttack, and its sta- 
ple for spinning, by^l. T. Weekes. 
On the native Cottonproducedin the Gar- 
row Hills, by Capt. A. Bogle. Report 
on specimens of Cotton reared by Col. 
Coombs, at Palaveram. On the cultiva- 
tion of Upland Georgia Cotton at Alla- 
habad,hyMr.^ Huggins. Onthecul- 
tivation of Pernambuco Cotton at Tavoy, 
by W. Mainby, Esq. On the cultiva- 
tion of Sea Island Cotton in the district 
of Cuttack. On Upland Georgia and 
Sea Island Cotton. — Transactions of the 
Agricultural Sf Horticultural Society of 
India, Vol. 11.1836. 
(Concluded from page 265. J 
The next communication is from Thos. 
Fisher Esq. from Cachar, where the quality of 
the cotton is not deemed fine, but from which 
cloth is made both warmer and finer than 
that fabricated from the cotton grown to the 
westward. It is cultivated on a hilly land 
contiguous to a navigable river which ac- 
cording to Mr. Fisher, offers considerable 
advantages to the cotton grower. Mr. Lamb 
of Dacca forwards samples of cotton from the 
neighbourhood of Dacca ; these are discolour- 
ed and ill-looking from having been kept for 
months in the smoky huts of the owners; the 
staple is short, and the seeds form an un- 
usually large proportion of the weight of the 
raw material. Mr. Lamb believes that more 
favorable specimens may be produced by 
careful search among the dealers, yet at the 
best it will be inferior to the American and 
Bourbon cottons. The finer threads are 
not now produced, and there has been a 
great falling off within these few years. 
Mr. Lamb observes that — 
“The cotioii from which the fine Dacca Muslin 
is niauufactiiied, is cultivated on both banks of 
the iMe>:na and Ganges, near their junction and 
on the low lands between those rivers. 
It is an annua) plant, and In good soil grows to 
the height of (oiii or five feet, but It is geneially 
too closely set to admit of its branching out well. 
It is sown in Oct iber and November. The seeds 
are welted for a few minutes, then diopped by the 
hand into the ground in drills from 16 to 20 inches 
apart. 
When the plant has attained the height of five or 
six inches, iiie gioiitid is carefully hoed up on 
both sides and kept clean by repeated weeding. 
The crop is gathered in April, May, and June, 
and where the situation chosen is beyond the reach 
of the inuiifiatlon, a second ciop, but inferior both 
as regards quantitv and quality, is olriained, but mote 
generally the land is inundated and produces only one 
crop of from J to 3 mds. of undteased cotton from 
the beegnh. 
Some of the more industrious ryiits connive to 
liave a sutrslding ciopfrom the ground hy sowing 
l ice ill the spaces between the drills, a few weeks 
hefore the colioii is removed, the rice rising with 
the water. 
S he Cotton crop does not at present seem to be 
in favour with the farmeis; it is an uncertain one, 
heiiig liable (u injury from insects in the eaily 
moiiihs from bait and rain when farther advanced, 
and front being mostly cultivated on low lands, it is 
not fieqiieiiiiy desiioyed by the river in June before 
the pioduce can he gathered. 
The culiivaiiou has declined with the muslin 
trade, and the price obtained is now scarcely lemu- 
neratiiig ; it has fallen from 6 tbs. to 3^ wiibia 
these few years- 
For the finer thread the hand is used in separa- 
ting the seeds from ilie cotton ; indeed the cylin- 
ders employed here are so inefl’ective aud the cotton 
adheres so stiongly to the seed, that an active 
person will do nearly as mucii woik with lire 
hand alone as be can do with the aid of the 
maclitiie in common use. 
Accompanying I do myself the pli-asiue to send 
you a few samples of the cotton and of the thread 
(the iictter quidiiles) spun from it. From the 
enclosed extiact from the books of the Custom 
House, you will perceive that little or no cotton is 
introduced from Ava. fhe imports noted as 754, 
28!, and Sill luds. include lioih what is brought 
by the Biirmali boats, and the supply from our 
own provinces. 'I’lie imported cotton is only used 
in tlie coarse mauufactui ies, and if lltere beany 
considerable iaiponation of coitott fioin the Ava 
tei iito. ies it is absorbed in Chittagong and about 
Lnckipofe atnoiig the baftah weaveis ; but I have 
great i easoii 1 m bel ieve that the importation is al- 
logeiliei trifling. 
Cleaned cotton or rooie passed the Custom 
House - Dacca. 
Imported, Exported. 
mds. srs. mds. svf. 
182»-29, 19 20 235 17 
1839 20 0 14 132 25 
1830-31 1 21 50 0 
1 his report does not include the principal im- 
port of cotton from the Western Provinces which 
iieing covered iiy ilmvannahs from Miizapore, 
Patna, or Vlooi sbedabad, is not eiiteied in the 
books of the Custom House at Dacca. 
Account of ('apuuse {cotton) passed the Dacca 
Custom-House, during the years 1828 29, 
I92y 39, aud 1830-31- 
Years Article Quantity Quantity Total. 
Ujtdressed Imported Exported 
cotton. 
1828 29. Capanse, 754 34 8 5,215 20 0 5,970 !4 S 
1829 30. Ditto ..284 3 8 6,102 20 0 6,386 288 
1S30 3I. Ditto, 3,111 34 4 1,839 18 0 4,951 t2 4 
Maunds l7,3o8 10 4 
