1 64 



COTTON : ROTATION OF CROPS, II. 



The following observations were made by the Island Chemist 

 after considering the whole correspondence published in this 

 Bulletin, May, pp. 104-I10. 



The Island and Agricultural Chemist to the Honhle. the Colonial 



Secretary. 

 The Hon. The Colonial Secretary, 



With reference to Ratooning Cotton in Jamaica I have been in 

 correspondence with Sir D. Morris on the subject and have 

 finally arrived at an understanding with him as to what is meant 

 by ' Ratoon Cotton.' 



At the conference meeting, a report of which you have 

 referred to me, Messrs. Ronaldson and Sharp both upheld that it 

 would be a mistake to limit the cotton crop in Jamaica to one 

 picking only. They understood Mr. Oliver's warning to imply 

 that the second flush of cotton obtainable in Jamaica within a 

 year, owing to the recurrent periods of rain and drought twice 

 yearly, was held to be an inferior product and its marketing in 

 England detrimental to West Indian Cotton. 



Mr. Oliver obviously had no agricultural experience of Jamaica 

 and it was hardly fair to ask him to pronounce upon a matter that 

 was really beyond his knowledge.* To test the point as to the 

 quality of their so-called ratoon cotton Messrs. Ronaldson and 

 Sharp, I am told, submitted to Mr. Oliver samples of first and 

 ' ratoon' pickings from the same plants with the result that Mr. 

 Oliver found the samples from the ratoons to be better than from 

 the plants. 



I now understand from Sir D. Morris that he does not consider 

 a second crop grown within a year to be a ratoon and that the 

 cotton hitherto called ratoon cotton in Jamaica does not come 

 under the catogory of 'ratoon' as understood in the other West 

 Indian Islands. 



Owing to the peculiarity of our climate which is accentuated in 

 the natural cotton-growing districts, it is apparent that cotton 

 must be sown so as to catch the rains and establish itself in full 

 growth before the dry period in which the fruiting and harvest 

 takes place. 



After the first crop the old plant pushes forth fresh shoots on the 

 advent of the next growing season and if pruned back will give a 

 fresh growth from which a second crop of cotton will be obtain- 

 able within, say, II months of sowing the seed. 



I think experience has fortified the position originally adopted 

 by the planters here and that it is now established that two crops 

 of cotton are to be expected here each year. Under certain con- 

 ditions the second crop may exceed the first in both yield and value. 



As to quality — I am told that the second crop is of longer staple 

 than the first but that the proportion of seed to lint is greater. 



* For Mr. Oliver's amended opinion see BuUetm, January, 1905, page 5, " Cotton 

 from Katoon Plants," Editor. 



