A FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW 



OF THE 



OAK 



IMPERIAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE WEST INDIES. 



Vol. III. No. 68. 



BAEBADOS, NOVEMBER 19, 190t. 



Peice Id. 



Prospects of the Cotton Crop in 

 the West Indies. 



X the last few issties of the Aiiricv.lt a ral 

 A\'ws a series of ln'icf reports has been 

 published giving iiiformation as to the 

 prospects of the cotton crop in the difttrent islands. 



From these it will be learned that; taking a very 



moderate estimate, son:ie 8,000 acres have been planted 

 in cotton in these islands. It is probable that more- 

 complete information would enable this estimate to be 

 placed at 10,000 acres. This acreage is, of course, 

 exclusive of the Carriacou plantations, where some 

 4,000 acres have been planted, mostly with the Marie 

 Galante cotton. According to the most recent informa- 

 tion, the estimated areas under cotton in the different 

 islands are as follows : — St. Kitt's-Nevis and Anguilla, 

 2,-3,50 acres ;. Barbado.s, 1,000 acres; St. Vincent, 1,600 

 acres ; Montserrat, GOO acres : Antigua, ,500 acres : 

 Grenada, 120 acres; St. Lucia, Trinidad, and Jamaica, 

 about 100 acres each ; Tobago, .50 ; A^irgin Islands, 50 ; 

 and Barbuda, 30 acres. The greater part of this area 

 has been planted with the selected Sea Island seed 

 obtained from South Carolina by the Imperial Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. 



With good cultivation and the exercise of care in 

 keeping pests in check, there is no reason why an 

 average yield of at least 200 lb. of lint to the acre 

 should not be obtained. It may therefore reasonably 

 be expected that the total exports of long-staple cotton 

 from the West Indies should be about 5,000 bales. 

 The total value of this amount of cotton is likely to 

 be about £100,000. 



The general tenor of the reports sent in from the 

 different islands is of a satisfactory nature and to 

 the effect that crops are healthy and the land well 

 cultivated. Last year, owing to the attacks of the 

 cotton worm and other pests, the yield was, in many 

 cases, poor. Planters were totally unprepared, and 



