his belief that it is a fallacy to suppose Cotton is, or could be, largely grown in the Jullundur Doab.

The next notice which I find of the Punjab refers to the district of Leia, on the banks of the Indus. Captain G. E. Hollings furnished the Agricultural Society* with a memo. on the subject of Cotton cultivation

local use

every village in the district grows Cotton for

formerly there was no trade, and even now the export is small the Cotton is very short stapled, but white and fine; he thinks that the cost of production would be 5d. per lb.

In April 1851 he obtained some Mexican Cotton seed: he sowed this carefully, but an inundation in July and August totally destroyed his crop: Sub-Assistant-Surgeon Ramsoonder Ghose, however, to whom he had given some of his seed, was more fortunate: his plants yielded him a good crop and a fresh supply of seed was obtained from them: the plants were left standing, and although they were totally neglected, some well-grown full pods were obtained from them in the second year.

Early in 1852 Captain Voyle sowed some seed which he had obtained: Captain Hollings himself also sowed again.

The seed was set in drills 4 feet apart, and the ground had been well prepared; it was manured and then ploughed over three or four times the shrubs attained a great size and grew healthily: in September "the leading shoots were topped, which is a practice adopted throughout the district." The plants in his garden had an ample supply of water, but he had no reason to suppose that their produce was greater than that obtained from the fields: nor could he perceive difference between the produce of the seed freshly received and of that from last year's plants: but he believes that had the plants left standing from last season been well cared for, they would have produced the best Cotton of all.

any

Agricultural Journal, Vol. VIII., page 136.

In his own and in the public garden he had some indigenous Cotton seed treated exactly as the Mexican seed had been, but the plants thus cultivated did not produce more abundantly than the village crops.

He found that one pod of the Mexican Cotton weighed as much as four pods of the native kinds; that of the latter the weight of the seed equalled three-fourths of the gross produce: while in the Mexican Cotton it was less than two-thirds. "The soil on which the native

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crop grows best is apparently pure sand, but there is throughout the "district much salt on the surface of the ground."

He subsequently found, on careful examination, that the indigenous Cotton he had cultivated carefully in the public garden was far superior to that of field growth, both in quantity and quality.

Mr. J. Prinsep, writing from Buttala, in June 1853, states that he had distributed exotic seed obtained from the Agricultural Society* among the landholders of his district he also sowed some himself which came up well. The fresh seed does not, however, grow so healthily as that obtained from plants of one or two seasons' growth in India: he had sown some gathered from plants raised in the previous season at Sealkote: the people always admire the exotic Cotton, and he believes that it will be extensively introduced into cultivation, unless, indeed, the untoward failure of some crops at the commencement of the experiment discourages them.

He sowed a plot of land with Petti Gulf and Sea Island seed fresh imported: seven or ten days after a second plot, exactly the same size, was sown with Petti Gulf seed acclimated at Sealkote; all the seeds of the latter germinated, whereas of the former a plant appeared only here and there, besides which the acclimated seed grew far more vigorous plants. Mr. James Cowell pronounced the samples sent to him "pretty fair in staple and soft, adhering tenaciously to the seed, as all those "varieties do; it is a useful fibre."

* Agricultural Journal, Vol. VIII., page 188.

In February 1855 Mr. Prinsep again addressed the Secretary.* "I send you a specimen of American Cotton grown in my garden; it "looks very fine and soft: the bushes from which it has been picked "have been in the ground for two years: they were cut down at the "end of the first year and allowed to spring up again: the produce, I think, is better than the first year's: the soil of my garden is not "at all rich and loamy, but sandy and requiring manure to give it "firmness and make it yield."

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The Cotton Committee report that the "color, length, and strength "of fibre and the feel or touch is excellent; it is descended apparently "from the green seed or short-stapled variety, either Petti Gulf or "New Orleans, and is a good and useful Cotton for the European "markets, worth 44d. to 5d. per lb."

In March 1861 the Financial Commissioner of the Punjab, under instructions from His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor, issued a circular to the revenue officers of the Province, requesting information on the quesiton of the Cotton-producing capabilities of their respective districts. The following table contains an abstract of the returns received:

In older Returns this division as well as Hissar formed part of the North-West Provinces.

In the Delhi division the districts of Goorgaon and Kurnal send their Cotton down the river to Mirzapore, but the Delhi district exports large quantities into Rohilkund.

In the Hissar division there are two crops: one sown in April and May, and gathered in October and November; the other sown in July, and gathered later than the first; some of the Cotton of the Rohtuk district is sent into the Punjab, some down the river.

In the Trans-Sutlej States the time of sowing is March and April, and of gathering October and November: in Hooshyarpore the crop is left standing two years, in the second season the quantity is small, but the quality considered very superior. The Jullundur district exports Cotton to Hooshyarpore and Kangra.*

From the Umritsur division the Cotton grown in Sealkote is sent to Mooltan, the Salt-range, and Jumoo; that grown in Goordaspore to Lahore the officer in charge of this last district states that the indigenous Cotton plant is dwarfish and weak: but the New Orleans kind evidently takes favorably to the climate. Mr. J. H. Prinsep, when Assistant Commissioner, distributed seed in the Buttala Pergunnah, which the people who received it still grow; they treat it as an annual, sowing it fresh every year: but there are at Goordaspore five or six plants five years old which yield Cotton every year: they require the earth loosened about the roots and to be watered: the seed is valued by the people, and those who possess it are jealous about giving any to others when well cultivated this Cotton has not deteriorated in quality, and "in proper vigor it produces close on eight mans "per acre."

:

The usual time for sowing in the Lahore division is February and March on unirrigated land, and on irrigated land April and May; the crop is gathered in October to December: as a rule, the plant is treated as an annual, but it is sometimes allowed to stand: the yield is less in the succeeding years than in the first. From

* Jullundur was formerly stated to import Cotton largely.-See ante.

Goojranwalla the Cotton is sent to Sind, the Salt-range, and Peshawur: from Lahore, into the adjoining districts.

In the Rawul Pindee division the time for sowing varies from February to May, and that of gathering from September to December: in the higher lands the crop is frequently allowed to stand for a second, and sometimes, although rarely, for a third season; the produce being less in quantity and worse in quality each year: elsewhere the plant is treated as an annual.

In 1853 the Deputy Commissioner of Shahpore introduced some American Cotton seed into that district, and in 1855 excellent Cotton was grown from the acclimated seed. Captain H. E. Paske submitted samples of the produce to Cotton spinners in Manchester, who pronounced it to be little inferior to American-grown Cotton: the Cotton of the Rawul Pindee district is taken across the Sutlej to Peshawur and Kohat: that grown in Goojrat, to Cashmere and the Salt-range; and the crop of the Shahpore district, to Cabool, and to Jhung and Mooltan.

In the Mooltan division the Cotton crop is sown from March to May, and gathered from September to December: it is rarely allowed to stand beyond the first year. The soil of the Jhung district is stated to be well suited to Cotton: irrigation alone is needed: the whole of the Bâr might grow Cotton: and the Chenab river offers peculiar facilities for sending the produce down to Kurrachee: from Mooltan the Cotton is exported chiefly towards Kurrachee and Bombay, some to Derajat and some to Bhawulpore; from Mozuffurgurh the exports go towards Sind.

In the Derajat division the Bunnoo and the Dera Ishmael Khan districts sow their Cotton in March and April, and Dera Ghazee Khan in May and June, and the crop is gathered from September to December in the two former districts the plant is frequently allowed to stand for two and sometimes three years, and the second year's crop