THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Jaxuaey n, 1908, 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholnie tV Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under dat/' of December 28, with refer- 

 ence to the sales of West ] ndian Sea Island cotton : — 



Since our la.st report abn.it 100 bales of West Indian 

 Hea Islands have been sold, chirH y from Barbados and St. Ivitts. 



The qualit)- continnes gnod and [irices are rather firmer. 

 New i-rop froin both islands realized from 20(f. to '22d., but 

 the sales inehide some inferior stained cotton, probably the 

 remains of last season's crop. 



COTTON REPORTS FROM THE SEA 

 ISLANDS. 



In their report of Deeenilx-r 14 last, Messrs. Henry 

 W. Frost & Co.. of Charleston, j,'ive the following 

 ])articulars with reference to the coriditions of the Sea 

 Lsland Cotton market: — 



The sales inchided all of the crops to be had on the 

 market at below Aoc, amounting to 1,300 bales, and all of 

 the odd lots to l)e had, ainonnting to about (500 bales, at our 

 (piotationsof last week {A;/rini//'iral Scirs, Vol. \l, p. -lOG). 

 Factors are refusing to sell odd lots, and are waiting until 

 they have accumulated stock. Con.siderable disappointment 

 has been exjierienced in regard to the extent of the cro[i, 

 which it is now thought will [iriiliably not leacli 12,000 bales. 



On December 21, IMessi.s. Frost, write: — 



Tlie receijits this week were composed largely of ci-op lots 

 to be delivered on the sales of the previous week. Odd bags 

 received are Vieginning to show a consideralile falling otf in 

 i|uantity as well as in quality, indicating that the crop has 

 been largely marketed. Owing to their .scarcity factors were 

 able to obtain the prices tliev asked for. The prices of the 

 week were: E.\tra tine, 2;Ur/.; fully fine, 22{</.: fine, 21 J-/.; 

 tine to fully fine, but not well jirepared, If^hl. 



SEASONABLE NOTES. 



Cotton groweis will find it woith their while to 

 bear the fijUowing praelie.al hints in mind, now that, 

 the picking season is in jirogress : — 



Do not all'iw ripe cottnn to remain too long nn llie 

 plants. 



As far as possible, arrange lor all the picker.s to go 

 together to one field : this enables a more >trict watch to lie 

 kept on the cotton picked, and on the pickers themselves. 



A J)icking gang nui.>t be well cirganizcd, in onler to do 

 the best work. 



Stained an<l dirty cotton, when picked, should be ]iut 

 apart at once from the clean I'otton ; it is always easier 

 to separate it in the field than after it is brought into the 

 house. A jioc/ii't on t/u' ju'r/,-in</ /""/ /,•.■ rcri/ iixcfiil /or l/its 

 pwyofc. 



The driver should alway.'! be instructed to insist on tlie- 

 pickers extracting all the cotton from the bolls. There 

 is always a great tendency for them to leave a little cotton 

 in the liottoni of the bolls. 



Too much time can be spent assorting cotton in the 

 house. It is not necessary to pull it all out so as to make 

 it have a fiiitty appearance. It is not neces.sary to whip all 

 the cotton, ^^'hipping should be reserved for dirty cotton 

 only. Dirty and stained cotton and jneces of dry leaves 

 should be carefully remox'ed. 



When the cotton has been cleaned and thoroughly dried, 

 it should be bulked fi-om three to si.-; weeks before it is sent 

 on to the ginnery. 



] )o nut mix cottons which are obviously of different .|nalities. 



GRADE IN COT TON : DEFECTS WHICH 

 INFLUENCE IT. 



In tlie \ery useful little pamphlet, ' Se.a Isl.and 

 Cotton: Its Culture, Improvement, and Diseases' 

 [Farmers' BuUdiri ^Uii of the U.S. Department of 

 Agriculture), the following account is given of the 

 defects which reduce the grade, and consequently the 

 market value of cotton. Fortnnateh', it will be seen 

 that the careful planter can prevent the oocurrence of 

 most of these det'eei.s : — 



The term ' grade ' in cotton indicates the appearance of 

 tlie lint, as regards eleanlines.% and colour — qualities 

 infinenced mainly by the manner in which the cotton has been 

 handled. The price is considerably influenced by the grade. 



The following are the chief defects that have an 

 influence on the grade: — 



Ao.v.v ,,/■ lihioin or Lustre. The best Sea Island staple 

 has a gloss or lustre which adds greath' to its beauty 

 and is inili.spen.sable for certain kinds of fabrics. This bloom 

 is destroyed by exjiosure to sun and storm when cotton 

 is left long unpickeil, aL-d the staple has then a gray lifeless 

 a|>peaiance, .sometime termed 'mildewed' or 'weather 

 beaten.' A similar effect is produced by picking cotton 

 when it is wet with rain or dew, and storing it in piles with- 

 out fiist drying it in the sun. 



To preserve the staple at its be.st, pick often — once 

 a Week, if possible -and expose the seed-cotton to the .sun 

 to dry. This is done by spreading it in a shallow layer on 

 a low I'oof or arbor, where it is turned frequenth until 

 so dry llial the .seed will crack between the teeth. 



/.iif.< lit' Slrrmilli. The loss of lustre is accompanied 

 by a lessened strength, so that a staple ordinarily good 

 fails to make as strong a thread as before — an adde<l 

 ii^ason U<v better care. Very dry cotton is also not so strong 

 as that which, under i>roper treatment, has retained its 

 natural moisture. 



Xe/i. Si)inners designate as ' nej) ' small white specks 



