The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1858-04-29

COTTON IN INDIA,

There has just been issued, in London
by order Of the House of Commons, !,
thick "hlne book" Of papers, relating to the
measures taken since 1917, to promote the
cultivation of cotton in India, among whicI,
we fin! much interesting correspondence
and statistical matter in reference To the cx.
r"rilncn;s conducted hy Mes,rs J. O. Price
and +. j. Terry. These gentlemen, bo,l,
Am"rlcHn cIz"ns, were engaged hy the
Government OF Il,iia, mt salaries OF .i5O
rupees r"r month. exclusive or their travel
' ing "Ni"n$r<. The cXpcrirnru. of their
c"inpa,,i"!. Mr.. B!ount, in i3 and 1871,
resulted in failure, which is :.scribcl by the
then commissioner ut Hrnarcs to his bavin~
almost entirely confined his operations to
American cotton nd American processes
Of culiiv";i"n and to his having restricted
them, moreover, to Il single locality in Go
ruckp"r'. Experiments made ut the same
time in E"ndccund were equally uns,cccss-
i''l, "wiu", ii is said, to the dryncss of the
atmosphere, an'! the absence of water; ; bu.
ur"r this point there are various opinions
+ expressed 10y different persons. In lS47,
The failure Of Mr.. Tcrry's health and lis
return to America, rendered it necessary to
abandon all operations in the ,listric: of
fun"pore; and tho results Of tho exncri-
mcnts ar Dacra, under Mr.. Price, were far
from encouraging. The Court of Directors
we're o. opinion, however, that the want Of
SUCCESS III the cultivation Of American, Per.
nam!lro and H"urhnn cottons did not pro-
cecd from unfitncss of soil or climate, but
, from the ravagcs of insects, which destroyed
Il larS" proportion Of tie pods.
1hc failure of the experiment upon for.
cItn cotton Induced Mr.. Price TO turn his
attention to the improvement. Of the Indie
cn"ns descriptions, an al experiment with
! seed from Patua WIS commenced upon the
government, f.r,ns at Darca in lSI7.-
Further trials were also made with Bour-
bon cotton, which. had succeeded better than
the American, and with Sea Island, South
American and Mexican. Meme of the lat.
ter succeeded So well as to induce IL con.
iinnance Of the attempts to accl;ma,ize
them, and the experiments of the follow
ing year were confined to Patna and Bour-
bon cotton. The cotton which lie had sent
to Liverpool was valued as follows: Bour-
bon Id, Indian sd. In seven wears.
however, IN outlay Of 4l,l0G rupees had
Resulted in the production Of cotton to
th" value of only $50 rupees; and Mr..
Illcc, s;!yuine ;lS lie had been, and morti-
cI lis he naturally was at his want OF sue
cess: could hold out no inlucc,ncnt for the
Government t" rcrscvcrc i'll n longer expert
mcnt IN 'h" haeca :. 'trics. He proposed,
however, that new experiment should hc
made, either in TcncasScrius or in the is
land at the mouth Of the Mcgna; but tn.
Sadc!cr Board Of Revenue reported untavor-
ably Of both suggestions, and the Govern.
mc"t concurred in the inexpediency Of
adopting them
Subsequently Mr.. Price was sent into
Assam for the purpose of selecting a suita-
bic locality for the cultivation Of cotton in
that province, and Il small experiment was
made at Muttuck, both with native and ac-
ciimated American seed, but witli no bet.
ter results. This locality was abandoned
i'll 1852, and the services Of Mr.. Price dis
renscd with but, in 1856 +, he was dcpu,cd
to Prsn, dot to make experiments, but to
ascertain It's capabilities for the production
Of cotton, and to report thereon to the
Government. He inspected the principal
cotton lands in the valley Of the Irrawaddy,
the sum OF his observations tcing that the
indigenous cotton Of Pcgu is of good quail
~, that i'll tho past times it WAS produced
in considerable quantities, and that the
Prone district contained an extensive area
of land suitable for its cultivation.
Concurrenlly with these experiments in
Assam and regu, others were being made
in the northwest Provinces. In 1886, the
Indian Government entered into an arrange
ment with Mr. Bell for experimental cult
vation of cotton in the neighborhood Of
Agra, an advance of 10000 rupees being
made OIL the understanding that any profit
which might result from the transaction,
after repaying without interest the money
advanced, should be paid over TO Mr.. Bell,
The plantations having been commenced
late in the season, the first crop amounted
to only G,00o maup,ls, which cost $4,000
rupees; the report Of the brokers, wli6
valued the specimens at Cd. per pound, was
highly favorable as regards their color and
cleanness, but not SO in respect of the staple
which was stated TO he too short for gene.
raj purposes. 1t realized in England from
2 SD: to 3-4d. per pound. The agree.
ment was renewed in 1947, but the pro.
dnce of that year was very inferior in
color and cleanness to the specimens sent
TO Iiyernool i'm tho nrooad;no u.,. ,,:,L