Vol. III. No. 66. 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



341 



COTTON INDUSTRY. 



Virgin Islands. 



Mr. W. C. Fishlock, Agricultural Instructor at 

 Tortola, reports : — 



I have very little reliable inturmation with reference to 

 the amount of cotton planted in the Virgin Islands. The 

 weather during ilay, .June, and .Tuly was very drj-, and it 

 •was impossilile to plant, although much land was cleared. 



I believe about 1.5 to 20 acres have been planted at 

 Norman Island, and I am informed that a considerable 

 amount has been planted at Virgin Gorda. I should say that 

 there is every prospect of -50 acres being planted in cotton in 

 this presidency. 



In most cases people have saved and planted their own 

 seed. Some was obtained frfim St. Thomas, and 100 lb. from 

 the station. 



Tobago. 



Mr. H. Millen, Curator of the Botanic Station at 

 Tobago, refiorts a.s follows on the prospects of cotton 

 growing in the island : — 



The approximate area planted is 1 20 acres, of which SO 

 acres are planted in Marie Galante cotton, and the remaining 

 40 acres in Sea Island. 



It is probable that not more than 50 acres will be 

 planted this season. One reason why [planting was not more 

 extensively carried on was on account of the want of 

 machinery for cleaning the cotton. 



A cotton gin and a baling press have been received 

 from the British Cotton-growing Association. This is the 

 second lot of machinery imported into the island for this 

 purpose. Now that machinery has been received, planters 

 ■will be stimulated to plant, as they can now be certain of 

 getting their cotton cleaned for export. 



I From this station .53 lb. of Sea Island cotton seed have 

 been distributed ; several planters have also obtained seed 

 direct from Trinidad. 

 I Montserrat. 



Mr. A. J. Jordan, Curator of the Botanic Station, 

 has reported as follows on the pros]jects of the cotton 

 Industry in Montserrat : — 

 During this season 2,730 lb. of Sea Island seed have been 

 distributed through the Department, and about 600 lb. of 

 planter.s' own seed have been treated with corrosive sublinrate 

 I solution at Grove Station. 



About 600 acres have been planted, and if proper care 

 is exercised to keep the leaf-blister mite in check, and 

 neither the ' black boll ' nor any new disease attacks the 

 plants, an average yield of 200 lb. of lint is expected to be 

 reaped. 



Since the middle of July the weather has been excellent 

 for the growth of cotton, and seed sown at that time has 

 developed into plants about 4 feet in height, which are 

 already setting pods. 



No attacks of the cotton worm have been reported, but 

 a large, black caterpillar was seen eating the stems of the 

 seedlings. The damage done by these was not, however, 

 considerable. 

 I A greater space has been allowed to each plant than last 



I year, most planters having planted at 4 feet by 2 feet, some 

 at even 5 feet by 3 feet. 



St. Kitt's. 



Mr. F. R. Shepherd, Agricultural Superintendent 

 at St. Kitt's, has forwarded the following report on the 

 prospects of the cotton industry in that island :— 



From information collected, I find that the area of cotton 

 already planted is 1,000 acres, and arrangements are being 

 nrade to plant 50 more during the month. This will make 

 a total area of 1,050 acres. 



Of this area 500 acres have been planted with the 

 selected Sea Island seed imported by the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture, and 550 acres with seed from 

 Sea Island cotton grown locally. 



The cotton crop in the island is, on the whole, in a very 

 promising condition ; the earlier-planted cotton is already 

 bearing heavily. 



The cotton worm has made its appearance in a few 

 localities, but has been at once kept in check by the 

 application of Paris green. The leaf-blister mite has also 

 attacked the plants in some places, and a mixture of sulphur 

 and lime has been used. Since the recent rains these pests 

 have not been so troublesome, and consequently there seems 

 to be a good pros[)ect for the cotton. 



The amount of imported Sea Island seed, sold and 

 [ilanted in St. Kitt's, was 2,295 lb. 



Gambia. 



Considerable space is devoted in the A'nvuaL 

 Kcfoii on Gambia for 1903 to an account of the efforts 

 that have been made in that colony to establish 

 a cotton-growing industry. The following brief sum- 

 marj' is likely to be of interest : — 



In the early part of 1902, 1,325 lb. of American, and 

 1,185 ft), of Egyptian, seed were distributed among the Chiefs 

 of the protectorate. The result cannot be said to have been 

 very satisfactory, as only 578 ft), of lint were shipped to 

 England. The failure of the crop was attributed by the 

 natives to the seed having been sown too early : it is 

 considered, however, that it is more probable that it was due 

 to intentional want of care on the part of the farmers, who 

 hoped that, in the event of the first crop proving a failure, 

 the ex}ieriment would be abandoned and they would be 

 allowed to continue their ground nut planting in peace. 



The first shipment of 112 ft), of lint realized 6(7. per ft).; 

 probably the price would have been higlier, had the 

 quantity been greater. The brokers reported that this 

 cotton was superior to the usual, rough West African 

 cottons, and were of opinion that, with careful cultivation and 

 proper i)icking and ginning. West African cotton might 

 obtain equal prices with American Ujjland. 



As a result of the visit of an expert sent out under the 

 auspices of the British Cotton-growing Association early in 

 1903, special attention has been devoted to experiments in 

 the Upper lliver district where an experimental farm has 

 been established. It is estimated that in that district about 

 400 acres have been planted in cotton. 



The crop for 1903, which was expected to be about 

 50 to 60 tons of seed-cotton, was being bought by the 

 Government at 2d. per ft). — a price which is readily 

 accepted by the natives but which has been fixed for the 

 purpose of encouraging the natives and cannot be regarded 

 as likely to make the experiment a profit-making one. 



The yield may be said to be about 300 ft), of seed- 

 cotton per acre. With this yield the crop is not likely to be 

 as profitable as ground nuts. On the other hand, there is no 

 reason why the yield should not be raised to 450 B). 



