Genre:

Essay

Subjects:

Invention, Machinery, Agriculture, Providence, Botany, Imperialism

    Discusses whether cotton grown in India might 'fill up the hiatus caused by the cessation of the supply of cotton from America' (661). Begins by reminding the reader that it was with 'cotton derived from India that Wyatt, Paul, Arkwright, Hargreaves, and Crompton first produced those yarns with the machinery they severally invented or perfected, which rendered success so complete as to banish from the minds of British manufacturers all fear of the competition of Indian goods' (654). Details how, while indigenous growers have 'left their plants to the care of Providence alone', agricultural innovations which 'materially aided nature' and were devised by 'an English gentleman [...] despatched to Nagpore by a mercantile firm', successfully produced a crop of Indian cotton 'in every respect equal to the best New Orleans'. Furthermore, from 'the seeds of these plants he selected the most promising, and sowing them the second year, and attending the plants grown therefrom with similar care, he had the satisfaction of seeing his efforts crowned with the utmost success'. (658)