340 
ON  COTTON  CULTURE  IN  INDIA. 
the  Government,  made  the  first  systematic  attempt  to  introduce 
American  culture  at  Akra,  near  Calcutta.  In  1840,  a  series  of 
experiments  on  a  larger  scale  was  commenced  in  eight  different 
parts  of  India  by  American  planters,  with  American  seeds,  tools, 
and  cotton-cleaning  machines.  The  results  varied,  as  might  be 
expected,  from  the  variety  of  soils  and  climates  at  the  different 
farms ;  but  the  conclusion  at  which  Dr.  Royle  arrives,  from  a 
review  of  these  and  of  other  experimental  trials  under  the  most 
favorable  conditions,  is,  on  the  whole,  not  encouraging.  The 
trials  have  been  made  in  all  the  Presidencies ;  in  the  Punjab, 
north  of  Lahore,  in  the  Bundelcund  district,  in  Dacca,  and, in 
the  Jumno-Gangetic  Doab ;  near  Agra,  Delhi,  Benares;  in 
Scinde,  in  Oude,  and  on  the  coast  of  Ava.  In  all  these  various 
localities,  the  reports  of  the  experiments  are  records  of  a  suc- 
cession of  failures.  Sometimes  the  blame  is  laid  on  the  soil  be- 
ing too  rich,  and  sometimes  on  being  too  poor ;  the  climate  of 
some  stations  is  too  moist,  and  of  others  too  dry ;  while  in  a  few 
cases,  when  good  crops  have  been  produced,  the  ravages  of  in- 
sects have  destroyed  the  hopes  of  the  cultivators.  It  is  true  that 
results  of  a  more  promising  kind  have  been  obtained  in  Tinne- 
velly,  Guzerat,  and  some  other  districts  ;  but  the  general  unsuita- 
bleness  of  the  Indian  climate  for  the  American  species  of  cotton- 
plant  is  established  by  the  vast  majority  of  the  experiments. 
The  reason  of  this  unsuitabieness  is  clearly  explained  in  Dr. 
Royle's  remarks  on  the  irrigation  of  crops  in  dry  soils  otherwise 
favorable  : — 
«  The  great  difficulty  in  applying  irrigation  to  cotton  in  India, 
is,  that  you  have  to  deal  with  a  plant  which  has  been  raised  in 
the  rainy  season,  and  which  necessarily  has  all  the  habits  of  one 
accustomed  to  moisture  both  of  soil  and  climate.  And  yet  it  is 
one  of  which  you  must  check  the  luxuriant  growth  if  you  wish 
to  have  a  sufficient  production  of  flowers  and  fruit.  This  is  done 
naturally  in  most  plants  by  the  heat  and  dryness  of  summer,  and 
in  Egypt,  where  cotton  is  copiously  irrigated,  by  the  dryness  of 
the  climate.  But  in  cultivating  American  cotton  in  India,  you 
have  a  moist- weather  plant — that  is,  one  with  short  roots  and 
broad  leaves,  exposed  suddenly  to  dryness,  when,  from  the  clear- 
ness of  the  sky,  and  the  heat  of  the  sun,  there  must  necessarily 
be  copious  evaporation.    The  Indian  species,  which  is  a  moisture- 
