The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-11-14

| CoTToN CULTURE IN INDIA.-It will be seer
| by the following article from the London Morning
Chronicle that the efforts which have been put forth
during the last few years to make India a cotton
growing country that might rival tLe United States
have entirely failed
e We regret to notice the failure and abandon
ment Of the experiments in cotton cultivation that
have been carried on, under Dr. Wighfs superin-
tendence at Madras. This enterprise, which had
for its object te production Of an article less paIp-
ably inferior to the cotton Of America than the
present badly picked and Indifferent India commo-
dity, was zealously and even lavishly, supported
BY the local government; but the late. failure Of
similar experiment IN Bengal, after an outlay Of
about 100000, had already given fair warning Of
the probable issue Of DR.. Nights efforts in the sis
Ter presidency. Considered a scientific attempt
70 improve the cultivation and the mode Of cleans
ing heretofore pFactsed in India It was undoubtedly
Interesting and may possibly have already exercised
beneficial influence. But if il was prompted by
any hope OF restoring cotton to the place IT ONCE
held in the export trade of India we are sorry to
say that project could well have been more chi
mercal. The changes effected in the Indian export
trade within the last half century, are Ear too sig
nliicant to admit Of doubt on that head. Fifty
years ago, India shipped to this country cotton
goods TO the value Of three millions sterling in fact
il paid its tribute in cotton. At the present time
The process is exactly reversed and India imports
British manufactures Of American cotton to the
same amount The causes which have conspiFed
70 produce this result were Irresistible
In the first place, the invention OF Hargreave
and ATkwright rendered it far cheaper for the
Indian consumer to purchase British fabrics than
to weave them himself In the next place, the
capital and mechanical skill which, since the intro
duction Of Whitneys gin, in 1893 have been
brought to bear by the Americans on the cleansing
OF the pods, have given their product an excellence
which the Indian planter cannot approach. The
result has been depression Of the one trade and
an extension Of the other, prodgous that in the
words OF MIR. McCullocb, there is nothing in the
history Of industry to compare with it, uRless It be
the growth Of the manufacture in this country" In
1880 America did not export single pound In
1881, she exported much as all the rest Of the
world put together. And in 1916, out OF 467, $50.
274 lbs. imported into this country, IO1 GIG 33g
lbs came from the United States, while only 3 J46-
LAB were supplied by the East Indies and CeyIon
Already opium, indigo, and in minor degree,
sugar have almost cntFely ai1en the place OF cot
ton amonc tl=-esP3 Of India. While there is a
yearly export oi lie first Of these products to the
value Of tiiree mil IN, Of the second to upwards Of
two millions sga the third to nearly n million
and hn5 doe total value Of the cotton exported in
1919, lrol fs lAsee presideRcies, does not amount
to 960000U, And now the failure Of the expert
ments made by the Governments OF Bengal and
Madras, with every appliance Of skill and capital
to insure Success will at any rate render II extreme
" dubious whether cotton be fated to resume its
rank among the great staples OF lmdia-h