118 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



April 19, 1919. 



COTTON. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



Thf report of Messrs. Henry W. Frost & Co., ou 

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the 

 week ended March 22, 1918, is as follows: — 



ISLANDS. The market has been very quiet throughout 

 the week, the sales reported consisting entirely of cotton more 

 or less off in preparation. Although the factors are desirous 

 of selling, and are generally holding for previous prices, yet 

 with orders in hand we think we could buy from them at 

 some concession, especially so as the United States Census 

 Bureau reports nearly 10,000 bales ginned, making the crop 

 1,000 bales larger than previously estimated. 



We quote, viz.: — 



Fine to Fully Fine, (a .52c. to .tSc, f.o.b. and !>• ight. 



Fine to Fully Fine, slightly off in preparation, g -oOc. 

 to .51c., f.o.b. and freight. 



GE .RGiAs AND FLORIDAS. There has been a good demand 

 resulting in sales of 996 bales, taking all grades, the better 

 grades being scarce, on a basis of Extra Choice 49c. to 49ic., 

 f.o.b., and freight, the buying being on account of the 

 Northern Mills. A percentage of the cotton sold consisted 

 of old crop cotton, which did not average Extra Choice. 



We quote, viz.: — 



Extra Choice 5Iic., f.o.b. and freight. 



Basis Extra Choice, including all grades, 49ic , f.o.b. 



and freight. 

 Choice 48ic., f.o.b. and freight. 

 Extra Fine 47ic, f.o.b. and freight. 

 The exports from Savannah for the week were: to 

 Northern Mills 306 bales, and from .Jacksonville to Northern 

 Mills 192 bales. 



On March 20, the United States Census Bureau made 

 its final report of cotton ginned to March 1, as follows: — 

 South Carolina 9,964 bales 1 



Georgia 21,265 bales Vmaking a total of 51,-389 bales. 



Florida 20,160 bales) 



against last year, 92,501 bales. Total crop 88,174 bales. 

 1917 117,544 bales. „ ., 113,109 bales. 



1916 91,920 bales. „ „ 85,278 bales. 



1915 Kl,598 bale.«. ,, ., 78,8.',7 bales. 



LIME CULTIVATION IN DOMINICA. 



ir. MANURING, iMULCllING. AND "iUKKN J . I: i;>>IN.;. 



( Ccntinued- ) 



The following is a. continuation of Mr. .J. Joies's 

 report of results obtained by him at the KxperimenC 

 Station, Dominica, the first, part of which appeared in 

 the previous issue of this .Jotirnal: — 



Manurin;:;. Very little harl been done in the work rif 

 .sy.stematicdly manuring "ime fields, and in recording the 

 yields, until the experiment plots were started. Here again 

 interruption occurred, a.i, owing to the hurricanes of two 

 successive seasons, the experiments had to be recast and 

 restarted. I'mt in the four years' record the results obtained 

 were highly instructive lo planters, because what was accora- 

 plis-hed by cultivation and manuring in the case of old and 



neglected trees at the experiment station is also possible ou 

 estates. 



There can be no doubt that the leading factors in 

 successful plantation work are shel:er from wind, draining, 

 andmanuiing; the last named is placed third, for the reason 

 that the best results cannot be obtained if the trees are exposed 

 to the wind, and the fields remain undrained. Trees requiring 

 shelter cannot make the best use of manures, whilst in tbe 

 case of undrained fields the .soil i.s not in a properly aerated 

 condition so as to giv^ the best results, and a loss of concen- 

 trated nitrogenous manure is pos.'il.le owing to surface wash. 

 Therefore each factor should receive careful attention in order 

 to secure maximum results. 



The main manurial experiments now carried on consist 

 of five plots, three times repeated, one series with old limes, 

 and two series with young limes. They are as follows: — 



A. Complete manure of nitrogen, phosphates, and 

 potash. 



B. Control. No manure. 



C. Mulch of grass — 5 tons per acre. 



D. Nitrogen and phosphates. 



E. Nitrogen and potash. 



There is also a single plot which receives nitrogen slone. 

 but it is not possible at present to add check plots to this. 



Another matter of great importance, on which infor- 

 mation is wanted, is in regard to the right time of the year to 

 apply concentrated nitrogenous maaures in lime fields. A 

 practice has sprung up amongst planters of applying these 

 quick acting manures at the close of the season, that is about 

 November-December. In the Agricultural Department these 

 particular manures are always applied to the plots with 

 the early rains in April-May. Justification for this action 

 is sought in the fact that it is the spring time of the j ear, 

 that the trees are waking up after their resting period — 

 the dry season, that from April onwards the days are length- 

 ening, that the daily average of sunshine is increasing, and 

 that the temperature of both air and soil is rising. From 

 May to September is the period of maximum vitality of plant 

 life, in which lime trees are able to take up and make the 

 best use of available plant food. 



To apply quick-acting manures in November Dece.iiber, 

 when the revenue conditions to those mentioned are being felt, 

 does not appear altogether sound. The time of application 

 may be a cause, amongst several possible ones, which le.vls 

 some planters to assert that very poor results, or none, have 

 followed the application of these manures at that period of the 

 year. In the Experiment St.ation the effects of every appli- 

 cation of quick-acting nitrogenous manure are apparent, but 

 further experiments are i eeded to settle this important point 

 beyond doubt, Possibly, con.siderable losses are being sus- 

 tained yearly owing to want of information on this matter. 



It is probable that the time ot application of phosphatic 

 manures is not so inq)ortant as in tbe case of nitrogenous 

 manures, but preferably' these should bo applied between 

 .January and May. In the matter of the application of pen 

 manures, this is lari^ely a question of estate convenience. 

 Itegarding mulches, these should, whei-.over possible, W 

 applied early in the year, so as to afford a covering to the 

 soil during the dry season, together with availability a- 

 plant food during the following wet .-ind growing season. 



Muldein:;. The n niching of both lime and cacao plots 

 hag been recommended for a long time as a means of main- 

 taining the humus contentof the soil, without which the trees 

 soon fa'l \>'*o a poor condition In Dominica this can be done 

 by the application of pen manures, by cutting off the tops of 

 native bush and carrying the material on to the plantation, 

 by the use of dead leaves of deciduous trees, by collecting 



