Vol. III. No. 68. 



THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS. 



373 



COTTON INDUSTRY. 



Antigua. 



From returns supplied by Dr. Watts we learn the 

 '■ following particulars as to the prospects of the cotton 

 crop in Antigua : — 



During the present season ( 1 90-t) there are upwards of 

 500 acres under cotton. Last year it was estimated that 

 there were about 600 acres. 



The cultivation of the present season is in better order 

 than that of last year. 



Grenada. 



The following letter in reference to the cultivation 

 of cotton in Grenada has been I'eceived from the 

 Colonial Secretary : — 



I am directed by his Excellency the Governor to inform 

 you that, from inquiries made, it ai)pears that the a]:ipro.\i- 

 niate area under cotton cultivation this year in this colony is 

 about 4,120 acres, being 120 acres in the island of Grenada 

 and 4,000 acres in the Carriacou District. Of this 32 acres 

 are said to be in Sea Island cotton, of which 414 B). of seed 

 have altogether been issued. No return of the quantity of 

 seed planted is obtainable. 



The prospects of the crop are at [iresent very favourable, 

 and an estimate thereof places the total probable amount at 

 1,5.50 bales of 3-50 lb. each. 



Barbuda. 



The following information regarding cotton 

 growing in Barbuda has been communicated by 

 Mr. H. G. Branch, Acting Manager : — 



The land jJanted in cotton this year had all been used 

 before as provision gardens, but, with the e.xception of a few 

 acres, had been abandoned five or six years ago and had 

 grown up again in thick bush. After the land had been 

 cut down and burnt off, it was thoroughly hoed over about 

 4 inches deep, and all stumps and roots were removed. 

 There are 29 acres at present under cultivation ; 22 acres 

 were jilanted on August 13, and the rest five or six weeks 

 after. Those [ilanted on August 13 have just had their last 

 weeding, as they are now 4 to -5 feet high and meeting 

 between the rows, and certainly show ver)' vigorous growtli. 

 The trees were planted 3i feet by 11 feet. Of the 29 acres 

 planted, 22 are in Sea Island cotton, the seed of which was 

 kindly procured for me by the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture ; 5 acres in Sea Island seed grown in Antigua, 

 and the rest in Seabrook seed. 



Large numbers of worms appeared on the weeds and 

 vines before the first weeding and, of course, when these 

 were weeded up, the worms attacked the cotton which was 

 then about 12 inches high; but I found hand-picking at this 

 stage quite ofi'ective, and no harm was really done to the 

 cotton, so long as the land was kejit free of weeds. 



The worms ajipeared again on the high cotton three 

 weeks ago, but a liberal dusting with Paris green has wiped 

 them out, at least for the present. 



The bolls are now forming, and I have every reason to 

 believe there will be a good crop, as the trees are wonderfully 

 free from any disease; my only hope is that I may have 

 the means to extend the cultivation next year. 



The expense incurred in the cultivation of all the cotton 

 has been defrayed from the £100 given by the British 

 Cotton-growing Association for experiments in Rarbuda. 



Nevis. 

 Mr. J. Spencer Rollings, Agricultural Instructor 

 at Nevis, has forwarded the following report on the 

 prospects of the cotton crop in that island : — 



Returns for 800 acres are now in, and I am sure that 

 the area under cultivation cannot be much, if any, less than 

 1,000 acres. The weather since the end of -luly has been all 

 that could l)e desired. 



Worms have been very troublesome and have required 

 the utmost vigilance, but Paris green has so far effectually 

 protected the plants from any serious injury. Other pests 

 have given us but little trouble. A large caterpillar which 

 seems to be more at home on the weed ' purslane' than on 

 cotton, but looks like an overgrown cotton worm, has done 

 a little damage, but Paris green kills him promptly. 



Distance apart and mode of j)lanting vary very 

 considerably, from 3 feet by 20 inches to 5 feet by 2 feet, for 

 the former, to every possible position between the bottom of 

 the furrow to the crest of the ridge, inclusive of fiat 

 planting, for the latter. 



The condition of the plants is very satisfactory through- 

 out the island, and for all the various stages of growth. Here 

 again a wide divergence of practice is shown, as some fields 

 were jilanted as early as June and from thence on to the 

 present, each month having its representative plots. 



Jamaica. 



Mv. John Barclay, Secretary of the Board of 

 Agriculture, Jamaica, has written as follows in resrard 

 to cotton planting in Jamaica: — 



To this date there have been sent out within the last 

 six months 4,500 lb. of Sea Island and Egyptian cotton seed, 

 antl numerous experimental cultivations, mostly of a very 

 small area, are in process. Between March and September 

 there have not been more than 100 acres of cotton grown ; 

 the crops from these are now being reaped and some of the 

 results are e.xceedingly encouraging, even as much as 400 fc. 

 of clean cotton lieing obtained per acre. 



Several exjierimental cultivations have failed completely, 

 but the reasons for the failure are [)lain to us and are due 

 either to planting in May, which is a month too late, or to 

 the locations being unsuitable. Sometimes Sea Island cotton 

 fails on certain soils, while Egyptian flourishes, and, in 

 a few cases, vice versa. As a rule, however, the Egyptian 

 cotton has been found the safer variety to plant, being more 

 i-obust in growth and the cotton not so susceptible to 

 damage by heavy rains as the Sea Island. 



On the whole, results have been fairly encouraging, and 

 the acreage planted in cotton is being increased, though still 

 cautiously. I estimate that there will now be about 300 

 small cultivations, ranging from a chain up to 5 acres. 



It was unfortunate for us that we took up planting 

 rather late in the spring, so that cotton has been coming in 

 late in September and the beginning of October when heavy 

 rains were falling. In consequence, fresh seed was not 

 available for the i)lanting season that suits the greater part 

 of the island, viz., between August 15 and September 15. 



But for the difficulty of getting seed there would have 

 been a larger acreage planted, but many have had to give up 

 their idea of it, when the proper time for their district 

 passed. I find it is the same with cotton as with corn^ 

 whatever is the season for planting corn in any district is the 

 time for planting cotton, and good results will not be secured 

 out of that season. 



