Vol. III. No. 51. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS, 



101 



COTTON. 



Cotton Notes. 



TLe larger the exiierieuee gained in regard tu tlie best 

 variety of cotton, the stronger is the conviction that Sea 

 Island cotton is the only one worth growing in the West 

 Indies. 



It fetche- donbJe the price of anj- other cotton, the area 

 within which it can be grown is strictly limited, and in a 

 general decline of values the iSea Island will always continue 

 to fetch the beat price.s. 



Further, it is orgnially a native of the We.-t Indies, and 

 already Sea Island cotton recently grown in its fild home is 

 regarded as e(|Ual to the best grown in the Sea Islands. 



Many people attracted by the hardy surts of short- 

 staple cotton trees growing in half-wild condition in these 

 islands have jumped to the conclusion that these might be so 

 improved by cultivation as to afford Ijetter returns than the 

 highly-bred forms of Sea Island cotton. 



To begin with, it would probably take twenty years to 

 jH'oduce from these semi-wild trees a variety of long-staple 

 cotton equal to the l>est Sea Island cotton. In eveiy way it 

 would be more advantageous, at present, to begin where the 

 Sea Lsland planters have left off rather than lose time and 

 money in experiments that may or may not lie successful. 



The reason why Sea Island C(>tton has not in every 

 instance proved satisfactory is due to the .unsuitable 

 conditions under w-hicli it has been tried. The land has 

 probably lieen either too poor or too clayey, the rainfall has 

 been too heavy and, generally, the conditions necessary to 

 success have not fully been understood. 



The opinion of one of the largest cotton growers in 

 St. Kitt's, based on the experience gained during the last 

 two years, is that provided exactly the right kind of land is 

 selected for planting and the worm is kept in check, the 

 cotton industry should be more renumerative than sugar and 

 possibly any other crop that could, at jiresent, be grown in 

 that island. 



It is hoped, in the further trials to be carried on this 

 year, that many of the difficulties hitherto eneoiuitered will 

 he overcome. The soil should be deep and loamy : if not 

 fertile, it should be manured and well cultivated : selected 

 seed only should be planted, and the cotton fields should 

 receive careful and constant attention so that the worm and 

 other enemies may effectually be dealt with. 



The idea put forward by the Imjierial Department of 

 Agriculture to provide a series of popular lectures, with 

 lantern illustrations, to be given in connexion with the 

 cotton industry has been received everywhere with great 

 interest. It is hoped by these means to place useful informa- 

 tion within the reach of all concerned, and make them 

 thoroughly familiar with the details of cotton cultivation as 

 also the best methcKls of dealing with the worm and other 

 pests. 



Apparently, St. Vincent is one of the few islands in the 

 West Indies where the cotton worm and other pests have not 

 made their ai)i>earance this year. The cotton stainer is 

 present but it has done little or no harm. Those who 



propose to come out to the West Indies to embark in cotton 

 planting would do well to visit St. Vincent and study- 

 its prospects as a cotton-growing island. The St. Vincent 

 Grenadines, esiiecially Bequia, are also well adapted for 

 cotton growing, and land is obtainable on easy terms and 

 labour is available at moderate rates. 



St. Vincent. 



The following notice to small proprietors has been 

 issued in St. Vincent : — 



The authorities of the Agricultural Department are 

 prepared to buy seed-cotton, for the present, of the jiroprietors 

 of small cultivations. The cotton must be dry, all trash, 

 pieces of leaves, etc., must be carefully removed beforehand. 



Clean, white, long-staple, Sea Island cotton will be 

 bought at 4c. per lb of seed-cotton. 



Clean, white, short-staple, Upland will be liought at 2c. 

 per tt). of seed-cotton. 



Freight Rates on Cotton. 



The following information in respect of freight 

 rates on cotton has been received from Messrs. 

 Clairmonte, Man & Co., the Agents of the Quebec 

 Steamship Company at Barbados : — 



We W'ill take any cotton you may have to ship to 

 Manchester or Liverpool, via New York, at the rates named 

 in your letter, say, 40c. jier 100 tt>. for not less than 10 tons 

 at any one time, and at I.'Jc. per 100 lb. for any quantity 

 under 10 tons. With regard to the expenses at Is'ew York, 

 we will find out from the Agents there what these will 

 amount to, but we do not think that the charges will be very 

 heavy. Of course the charges at New York will be extra to 

 the rates of freight named above. 



Cotton in the V/est Indies. 



The following is an extract from an account of the 

 work of the British Cotton Growing Association by the 

 Vice-chairman (Mr. J. Arthur Hutton) published in the 

 Textile Mercury of February 20, 1904:— 



It is perhaps not generally known that at one time we 

 derived our principal supplies from the West Indies, and it is 

 almost an irony of fate that we should again be turning our 

 attention in that direction, and that there is a po.ssibility of 

 the unfortunate sugar planters of tho.se islands finding their 

 salvation, not in sacrifices on our part to revive their decaying 

 sugar industry, but in the growth of cotton. At the com- 

 mencement of the last century we obtained 40,000 bales, or 

 about half of our total supplies, from our West Indian 

 possessions, and it was not until the year 1802 that our 

 imjwrts from the United States for the first time exceeded 

 those from the West Indies. In 1902, our total imports of 

 cotton from our old sources of sujjply were less than 1,000 

 bales. A special grant of £400 was made by the Association 

 to the West Indian Governments for the encouragement of 

 cotton cultivation, and we followed this up by supplying 

 seed, gins and presses. The question has been taken up most 

 vigorously by the local authorities, and Sir Daniel Morris, 

 Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture, is taking the deepest 

 interest in the question. He has visited most of the islands 

 and also British Guiana, delivering addresses and advising 

 the farmers to go in largely for cotton. In addition to that, 

 he has paid a special visit to the United States in order to 

 .study American methods of cultivation. 



