Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-07-24
Cotton Culture in India.

cal faclS ca1tIully coHdtSu. 1ahlDg tiio Ioi granted, and remembering that the article is special plea for India and represents the facts in the strongest possible light lor East India in terests, we may derive some useful information from the figures the reviewer presents.
 The first great admission Is ttar India, if she cultivates cotton, must be supported by the lm- portation of breadstuffs. In other words, if India exports cotton, England must expert wheat. To get over this pons ostnoram in hie argument, the reviewer gives the area Of India, hen the acres in cultivation and the land not in cultivation, and deduces therefrom that certain number of acres can be put in cotton But we must remember that the common peo- pIe of India are now compelled to labor to the utmost limit of human endurance, and if they npen cotton lands they must neglect the culture # rice and other grains. The population of India s one hundred and eighty mllions.- Without an exception, theso wear cotton cloh> ing, besides using great deal for carpets. ropes, peds, etc. The reviewer assumes that the con- sumption averages twelve pounds to each person.
  The average produce of an acre of cotton in India is only fifty pounds. This would require the cultivation of 72,0O0,000 of acres to supply home production alone Taking the reviewers figures that, when all the cotton land of India IS brought into cultivation, there will be cue hundred and twenty millions of acres, more than half of this must be cultivated for home con sumption ard less than fifty millions Of acres for export purposes. This would give 25O mil~ lion of pounds and from this China and other points must be supplied. The cotton obtained from India in any year, has not reached 200 million of pounds, and 1t never can be made to exceed it by more than one half Therefore, when the writer attempts to explain why more cotton is not brought from India, by saying it was dirty, adultcrated with sand, leaves and rub bish, or that systematic culture is needed in some districts, he attempts to beg the question. Some facts as regards the soil which he states, will account for the trashy cotton. The follow ing information regarding the time of planting and picking cotton there will interest planters in this country:
 "Cotton is sown in various localities at various periods, to suit the climate and soil. In Berar and parts of GuZerat, for instance, as soon as he land can be cleaned after the fr4t fall of rain in June, that is, from June 10 to July 10. In Dbarwar, and the southwestern portion of he Nzams districts, where there are large cot ton fields, the sowings are from l5 August to l5 September The difference in the time of sow> ing is to suit the different qualities of cotton and the character of the soil. In Berar, for instance, on both sides of the valley tie soil is light and tony, or gravelly. h the Dharwar and other districts deep black 'Regar.' The first requires constant succession of showers 10 bring on he plant: the latter, aiier the Grsr sowing. de> pends upon the dew, and the moisture in the .3r.Oh oOll, "fs-f tt,- a diucr thp great heat and eVapordton, ,il ~a.s,s- ,pe. In the one case, the cotton k ripe and the
 rst gathering is made by the first week of De
 mber, or even the last week ot November.- in the other the first gathering is made in the alter end ot January and continues to the end # February and even into March and AprIl. There are rarely more than two gatherings from the early sOwn cotton on light soils. whereas the moisture in the deep black soil produces con uued succe. sion of flowers and bois until the
 i'd of the hot weather By this time the soil ,as opened in deep cracks, into which the dry ntton leaves fall. and the stalks of the plant -uter as the hoe passes over them; and the field
 thus manured for h. next crop, which will be one of cereals or pulse
 There are other important facts contained il ne article before Us, some of which are not generally known. India cotton cannot be worked alone, unless the machinery, in the English mills, is altered at great cost. It is finer than our middlings, but the staple is very short It requires more time to work 1t and the manutac turers will not use it, except for or two kinds 1f fabrics, if they can get American cctton.- Since our revolution comr enced, he manulac- turers of Manchester have organized ali 0ten- sive association 10 procure cotton elsewhere than from America, but confess it wiltah time, perhaps years, to carry out their proposed plans. But our want of space compels us to leave this interesting subject, giving the close of the arti- cle in the Review. Before we copy the sub joined extract We beg our readers to remember that this outside hopeful estimate is of one who Is not friend to the South, and, therefore, 1t is un- favorable to us as 1t can be made. Moreover, in speaking of bales of cotton from America and from India, the writer fails to tell us that the former are square bales, solidly packed, while the latter are not generally half as weghty as ours The reviewer closes his article with these words:
 Notwithstanding the certainty of a large in crease to the ordinary export from India this year, 1t must be confessed that IS by no means commensurate with the wants O. the maEutac- turers The year 1860, as to imports from all sources. was altogether exceptional the amount having been 3,363, 994 bales, against 3,035, FPS in 1861, and 2,828, i89; in 1859. If the import of 1859 be taken average year, the im> port of 1860 exceeds it by 5,505 bales, or nearly one fifth. That great amount of extra import with POT. .239 bales, the excess of 1861 over 1859, form total of TAP TAI bales, when under the present and late short working of the manufacturers has enabled them to eeonomise stocks of cotton, and so to prevent any extreme pressure that, however, we much fear, has in evitably to come, and must be looked steadily in the face The stock of American cotton, of which the consumption is about 10000 bales week. cannot last much beyond the first Of May. By that time, under the arrivals from India, the stock of East India cotton may be considerably increased. as we have shown already; but the consumption is at least 10000 bales per week now-l {. .000 for local use and 4,000 for export and may increase as American is consumed or held back by spectators and if the stock of of May ha m moro than