The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-07 00:00:00

Cotton Supply Aisociation.

At the usual meeting of the executive committee, held
on Tuesday, September, 4, a letter was read from Rio
Janeiro acknowledging the receipt of a grant of cottonseed
for San Paulo, and stating that though considerable damage
has been caused by insects, and the consequent falling off of
the boll before opening throughout, there is still an earnest
determination to persevere in cotton cultivation, and that
at the coming seed time a greater breadth of land will be
planted than last year. The writer is endeavouring to
secure more care in cleaning and preparing the cotton for
market, and to introduce better machines, so as to prevent
the injury so much complained of by the use of the saw gin.
It is a long fibre cotton which is grown all through the
province.

A letter was received from Berdiansk reporting the ar-
rival of seed sent by the association, and stating that the
climate is sunny and dry, and appears to be well suited for
the cultivation of cotton. The frosts cease in April and
return at the end of October. A further grant of seed was
made, and it is hoped that the experiments will pro-re suc-
cessful.

A letter was read from the honorary agents of the asso-
ciation at Bombay, advising the despatch of two parcels of
cotton, forwarded by the Commissioner of Chandah— one,
Sea Island, grown from seed supplied by the association,
and the other New Orleans Dharwar acclimatised. In a
communication enclosed from the Dharwar Cotton Com-
missioner-in-Charge, that officer states the great want that
exists in the Indian cotton districts of a suitable animal
power for working cotton gins, and which is particularly
the case in the important district of Dharwar. Several
machines have been introduced which have proved failures,
chiefly from their non-adaptability for bullocks and buffa-
loes, the only animals available, whose movements are
much slower than those of horses and ponies. What are
wanted are small, compact, cheap, and simple machines for
working one or two gins at the rate of two bullocks or
buffaloes for one gin, and three animals for two. If such
were provided, not readily put out of order, and easily re-
paired by the rude means available in the Indian Alofussil,
a large sale of them might be effected.
A copy of a despatch from the Government of India, dated
Simla, June 25, was received from the India-office, describing
the results of experiments in cotton cultivation in the Central
Provinces during the season 1865-6. These efforts to im-
prove cotton culture, to introduce an improved staple, and
to organise the cotton marts in the Wurdah district, have
been made under the supervision of an European officer, ap-
pointed as superintendent of cotton operations there, and
who was directed to take up land in different localities of
sufficient extent and good quality for the intended experi-
ments. Acclimatised New Orleans seed, obtained from
the Dharwar Cotton Factory, was provided for the purpose.
One object was to ascertain whether exotic cotton would
best succeed as an early or as a late crop, there being a dif-
ference of opinion on the subject. Five fields in different
parts of the district were selected, each field containing ten
acres, seven of which were prepared for the early sowings
in June, 1865, after the first fall of rain, and the remaining
three acres in each field were reserved for the late sowings
in August and September, about the close of the monsoons.
In two fields sown in September the seeds in one day did
not germinate, and in the other they germinated irregu-
larly; the plants were withering in October, and in Novem-
ber the field was given up as a failure. The same result at-
tended two fields sown in October. Thus, of the late mon-
soon sowings, only three of the 15 acres sown yielded at all,
and their yield was only 37 seers, or 741 b. of seed cotton.
The yield of 41 acres of the early sowing was 5,4751 b. seed
cotton. The average yield per acre of the early crop was
13311 b., and of the late crop 251 b. per acre. One part of the
scheme in qurdah was to induce certain landowners to
take an interest in the experiments, and to conduct similar
ones on their own farms. Seed was supplied to the four
landholders of Wuthora, Wurnaira, Sirpore, and Bairool,
the first of whom only tried the late sowings, which failed;
but the early sowings were generally successful. In Wur-
naira and Bairool the New Orleans seed has won the con-
fidence of the people, and applications for further supplies
have been received. The experiments are continued this
year under direct Government supervision.

Papers were also received from the India-office describing
the attempts made in 1864-5 to introduce the cultivation of
foreign varieties of cotton into certain districts of the Ma-
dras presidency. In Ganjam, New Orleans, Peruvian, Ha-
vanah, Egyptian, Bourbon, and Ooppum seeds were distri-
buted among the people ; and the collector reports that
though the exotic plants seemed to thrive on the hills, the
ryots were everywhere discouraged by the excessive care
and attention required to bring the plants to maturity. The
seasons were not propitious, and the quantity of cotton ob-
tained from the cotton was very small. In Nellore the Peru-
vian and New Orleans varieties were tried in 1864, but
without success, owing principally to the adverse character
of the season. In Madras and Tanjore large quantities of
the various descriptions of foreign cotton seed were distri-
buted, but the result was in every case unsatisfactory, and
the collectors are of opinion that it is useless to carry on
the experiment any longer, as the soil of this part of the
country is evidently unsuitable for the cultivation of exotic
cotton. In the Salem district the cultivation of Peruvian,
Egyptian, and New Orleans cotton has been attempted with
various results, and samples from the Namkul division
have been forwarded. The plants grew well and flowered
abundantly, but the pods as soon as formed were attacked
by insects, and the produce was either destroyed or ren-
dered worthless by discoloration. The sub-collector of
Salem reports that on the whole he looks upon his experi-
ments as having been a success.