The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-08 00:00:00

- I, •
Extract from the Annual Report of the Agricultural
and Horticultural Society of India for the year 1839 :
The third in order, but first perhaps in importance,
is the attention which the Society has paid to the pro-
secution of its labours in the cause of cotton cultivation
in India—an object, the magnitude of which can only be
measured by the millions of pounds sterling which may
be said to be involved in the success or otherwise of the
undertaking.
The more the Society gives its consideration to the
improvement of this important culture, the more it be-
cosmei cona;;ed that capital and skill are alone required
to raise the indiga::
ous cottons of the country—the pa-
whence all other lands have
rent stock, be it observ:d,
been supplied—to a stanu -rd worthy of comparison
with the productions of the wess's The accumulated
mass of information in support of the ness of the lands
of India to furnish cotton from the seed of perennial
plants of the western world, leave no doubt I:2at with
care in the selection of the sites, attention to the hus-
bandry of the tree, and the skilful application of modern
knowledge to the art of cleaning the article for the
market, the export of. cotton from India will be a busi-
ness of yearly increase, and form a most material item
in the future custom duties of the State. •
With the conviction that the public attention alone
requires to be directed to the subject, the opportunity,
which the presentation of the memorial of the Man-
chester merchants to the society through the Bengal
Chamber of Commerce affordb.d, was seized of pre-
paring a summary from the records of the office of what
had been dons by the Society, and the success which
had attended its efforts at introducing American and
other varieties of foreign cotton seed into India ; and,
by the addition of an extra number of 150 copies to the
ordinary number of 400, the pamphlet had as large a
circulation as the Society could afford to give it.
The measure thus brought prominently forward by
the leading cotton comminity of Great Britain, was not
allowed to rest dormant by those appointed to preside
over the destinies of India ; and hence we find, that,
about the time the Society had its summary is hand,
the home government of India was devising means to
meet the prayer which had been embodied by the mer-
chants of Manchester, in their petition to the Honour-
able Court of Directors of the India Company.
The despatch conveying the sentiments of the body
of ghe Directors bears date March 15th, 1839, and the
able reinete of tile Right Honourable the Governor-
General thereon, which has been transmitted for the
guidence of the Society, was completed on the 14th of
August, lea 9. The documents themselves, and the
steps taken in fulfilment of the sentiments contained in
tiesm, have been so recently before the members and
the public, that a circumstantial de:: it in this place is
renuered unnecessary. It is sufficient to mention that
the Government of India has once more deteral,ined to
embark, in the most efficient manner that can b,; de-
vised, in this most laudable national object, and that it
has sought to ensure success by obtaining from America
the services of duly qualified planters, in order to give
to the undertaking the benefit of the best practical
knowledge. The arrangement of the details for carry-
ing the resolution of the Government into effect, the
Society has been solicited to undertake, and this is now
in course of preparation. That success in its most en-
larged sense will attend the efforts pow to be made,
must depend on the energy and seal of ase individuals
whose province it will be to watch over and Attend to
the working of the enterprise. The amplest testin'ony
exists, that the diversified soil and climate of In"dia,
are capable of supplying the demands of Europe with
cotton of a marketable and profitable quality ; and it
rests with the Executive to justify the expectation of
of what the soil can do.
From a subsequent part of this report, we learn that--
" In the way of outlay for cotton seed, the Society
has appropriated the sum of 500 rupees for the pur-
chase of the best sorts of indigenous seeds, and 1,000
rupees for the purchase of American seeds. The as-
signment of further sums has been unnecessary, owing
to the liberality of donors, who, in a spirit of noble
generosity, have preferred that their consignments of
seeds to the Society should be received as a gift, rather
than be paid for. To Mr. Waghorn, of Egypt ; Mr.
Jackson, of Calcutta ; Messrs. Arbuthnot and Co., of
Madras ; Mr. Richards, of Calcutta ; Mr. G. U.
Adam, of Calcutta ; Messrs. Adam, Scott, and Co., of
Calcutta j the thanks of the Society are especially due
for the extensive and most acceptable presents of fo-
reign cotton seeds which they have made."
Amongst the prizes offered by the Society are its
gold medal for the best sample of cotton, raised from
foreign seed, not less than two maunds in quantity ; and
its silver medal for the second best sample of cotton
raised from foreign seed. In the Society's disburse-
ments are items of 1,0001, paid to one gentleman,
being an advance for a consignment of cotton seed from
America, and of 1001. to another gentleman for the
purchase of Dacca cotton seed for transmission to As-
sam.
(Fl..);;! thc Report of be Bombay Chamber of commerce.)
MACHINE FOR CLEANING COTTON.I'IIe last re.
port mentioned the arrival of the churka forwarded for-
warded by the Glasgow East. India Association ; and
your Committee have since receivel another of these
machines from Government for the Chamber's exami-
nation, previous to its being forwarded to its final desti-
, f•lni exile -crch+-Arne
pbeen
madet huland
the results have not been _satisfactory. -I
rh.t trial,: hat'
unfavourable circumstances ; neiteet urearae. beer
was in a perfectly clean state, and the kuppas forwarded
by Merwanjee Hormuzjee for the trial is too old to
afford a fair trial, as, the seeds being rotten, crack
under the cylinder, instead of passing through, which
fresh and sound seeds would probably do. -Until the
machines are perfectly cleaned, the shaft lengthened to
melee two to work together, and the kuppas got down
for the experiment, the trial must continue indecisive.
Since the last quarterly meeting, one of the members
has received from Mr. Potter, of Manchester, four
churkas, differing in many respects from those sent out
by Mr. Houldsvvorth in Glasgow. A trial has been
made to ascertain which of the two kinds of churkas,
Mr. Houldsworth's or Mr. Potter's, would do the
most work, and the result was in favour of the
latter ; but both of them are capable of much improve-
ment. These machines are required to be used in a
part of the country where it would be impossible to have
European supervision, and they are much too compli-
cated for the natives. To give them a fair trial, these
machines ought to be sent to Merwanjee Hormuzjee
at Broach ; and, if the trial is to be made this season,
no time should be lost. Lieutenant Studdert, of the
Engineers, has also made a churka, which, in some re-
spects, is superior to those received from England.
IMPROVEMENT AND EXTENSION OF COTTON PRO.
DUCTION.—Your Committee have received from Go-
vernment a body of valuable documents on the subject
of the improvement and extension of the cotton pro-
duction of India, embracing memorials from the Home
Associations to the Court of Directors, with the Court's
letter and the Governor-General's minute thereon, and
soliciting any suggestions which the Chamber could
offer on the subject. Duplicates of these documents
were sent to the Revenue Commissioner, and $6 printed
copies of the whole of the documents have been since
furnished and distributed among the members ; four
copies of a lithographed pamphlet by Mr. Vaupell on
the some subject have since been received ; and as Go-
vernment is anxious to be furnished with the opinion of
the Chamber on this important topic, the Committee
must again earnestly draw your attention towards it,
and solicit from the members who have given most at-
tention to it, such data on the leading points as may
enable them to convey to Government the views of the
mercantile body on a subject in which it is so deeply
interested, and which they would beg to receive from
you before Thursday next, to enable the Committee
then to apply to Government.
COTTON FROM H EWR A AND RUTNAGHERATA
small specimen of cotton was forwarded by Dr. Gibson
from Hewra for report and sale—the cotton was of ra-
ther weak stable, and sold at the rate of Rs. 110 per
candy ; if more carefully picked, it was calculated to
bring Rs. 115, as the market then stood. Three speci-
mens of Bourbon, Sea Island, and Conkanee cotton, re-
ceived recently from the Revenue Commissioner, grown
at Rutnagherry,—and a small sample of red China
cotton, grown at the same place, are now on the table
for inspection. The former seem most beautiful speci-
[RCM, and the production merits the warmest encourage-
ment of Government ; such cotton would bring very
high prices in this market to any amount.
COTTON SENT TO ENGLAND BY THE CEIAMBER.....
Your Committee have received, through Messrs. Rit-
chie, Stewart, and Co., the account of sales of the cot-
ton forwarded from the sub-collector of Broach, and
Merwanj e Hormuzjee, and by the Chamber transmit-
ted to England. Copies have been forwarded to Go-
vernment, the Revenue Commissioner, and Merwanjce
Hormuzjee, and the amount respectively paid over to
time sub-treasurer and the merchant above named. The
favourable report on, and high prices realised by, this
cotton, cannot fail of affording encouragement to the
production of a similar quality. Government has given
every publicity to this successful experiment ; and, fro
it
m
an enclosure from the sub-collector of Broach, which
has recently forwarded to the committee, it would ap-
pear that the sub-collectorate of Broach is capable of
furnishing nearly 1,700 candies annually of the same
quality, at an expense less than that attending the
smaller experiment.
—lt appears from a letter from the
COTTON Caor.
Revenue Commissioner, that the cotton crop this season
ire the Broach district promises to be an abundant one,
and that it was expected its picking would commence
by the end of December. On the 14th November last,
as appears by a communication on that subject, there
were 102,263 maunds four seers of cotton on hand in
the Collectorate of Ahmedabad, not cleared from seed
(kupas). - -
Prince Dolgorouky left Mivart's Hotel on Tues-
day for Birmingham, and intends visiting I.llanchesthiser, Leeds
and other large manufacturing towns, previous to depart
for the continent.
General Sharpe has paired off with Mr. Hope
Johnstone for the remainder of the Swim!