TToL. VII. No. 149. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



in the baled cotton, wliicb they timl very ditiioult to 

 remoVe in spinning, and which often go into thread and appear 

 in the conii)leted fabric as white dots. These neps are in 

 reality tangles in the fibres, which, -vvlien viewed under 

 a microscope, are seen to be weak and undeveloped. They are 

 due in part to picking cotton before niatuiity. A boll that is 

 forced open to extract the lint is a source of nep, as the 

 cotton in it does not get the necessary expc^ure to the sun 

 to (liy, straighten, and strengthen the fibre. Other nep 

 originates with weak cotton fnnn diseased bolls or from any 

 otlier cause that prevents the fibres from attaining full 

 development. Such undeveloped staple comes from the gin 

 full of neii. Poor ginning, however, by weakening and break- 

 ing fibres, increases loss fi-om this cause. Pickers should lie 

 cautioned against picking unripe bolls. Thomugh sunning 

 will in part remedy the trouble, and good cnlture, by produc- 

 ing healthy plants, will do more. 



Jh-oki'ii, Leaf, etr. The presence of fragments of leaf, 

 weed seeds, and other foreign matter in the cotton 

 reduces its grade. These are often difficult to avoid, particu- 

 larly after storms, when bits of the dried square or involucre, 

 are often mingled with the cotton : but pickers should be 

 watched and cautioned against picking dirty cotton. Fortu- 

 nately, the si)inners find it easier to remove this class of 

 inipuiitios than the nep previously mentioned. 



.s/iort Fihresi. A large part of the waste is due to 

 short fibres which have to be combed out. They originate 

 in part in variations in length of the staple on the seed — 

 a serious fault, to be remedied by seed selection. Short 

 fibres are in other cases due to imperfect ginning, which 

 breaks or crimps the staple and may be avoided by better 

 management. 



Weid- FlhrM. The greater part of tlie waste is due 

 to the presence in the baled cotton of staple from undevelop- 

 ed or diseased bolls. The bolls in such cases do not open 

 and the fibres do not expand but remain matted together in 

 a 'hard lock.' All locks that do not open out after drying 

 may be assumed to be worthless on account of weak and 

 undeveloiied stajile. Pickers should be instructed not to 

 gather hard locks, and in the assorting after iiicking all 

 remaining ones should be thrown out. Sied-cotton still 

 containing hard locks when it reaches tie gin can be 

 improved by setting the stripp-^r bars well back {\om the 

 roller to allow the locks to fall throu.gh. (.'lose ginning is 

 a mistake, for it costs the farmer more through deterioration 

 - of his cotton than he gains by the slight increase in weight. 

 The number of hard locks can be greatly reduced by 

 bringing the cotton to perfect maturity through attention to 

 fertilization and culture, and to the control of diseases. 



Lark- of Vwfiji-nnty in the Bale. Separate late from 

 early pickings. Buyers desire to have each bale uniform 

 within itself^ If, therefore, a late picking is inferior to an 

 earlier one it should not be ginned and [lacked with the 

 earlier cotton, as the price of a bale is detennine<l by the 

 poorest cotton found in it after thorough sampling. 



Yellow Cotton. Buyers invariably complain when 

 a sample of cotton contains yellow staple, and the grade and 

 . price are consequently reduced. Yellow tufts in the gin- 

 ned cotton come from discoloured locks that should have been 

 left unpicked or been sorted out before ginning. They 

 orginate, as a rule, in bolls attacked by the anthracnose or 

 bacterial boll-rot. Their presence in a bale is an indication 

 of too close ginning. 



Saii<J. A bale of cotton always contains consi<lerable 

 •sand which has been Idown into the open boils. This is (juite 

 unavoidable, but when cotton has lieen left unpicked and has 

 blown out on the ground the quantity of dirt is increased. 



AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES OF 

 GRENADA. 



A good deal of inibrmatioii relating to the agri- 

 cultural industries of Grenada is given in the Annual 

 B(qiorf, 190(J-7, on the colony. 



The figures relating to' cacao production .show a consider- 

 able falling ort' in the yield during the last two years. The 

 cacao crop of 1904 reached' 67,2-25 bags. In 1905, it fell to 

 64,319 bags, while in 1906, there was a still greater drop, 

 and the produce for the year reached onl}' 54,381 bags. Tlie 

 increaseil jirices, however, which have recently been obtained, 

 should, to a large extent, comi)ensate growers for the diminish- 

 ed yield. 



Estimates as to tlie world's consumption of cacao, too, 

 show that since 1902, the quantity consumed has increased 

 by about 40 per cent. This fact also improves the outlook 

 for a cacao-producing colony. 



The growing of nutmegs and other spices is the 

 second agricultural industry of Grenada. The figures showing 

 the exports in this line during the last three years, however, 

 indicate that the industry is in a very flourishing condition. 

 In 1904, the spice exports reached 6,915 cwt., and had 

 a value of £33,767. In 1905, although the quantity of 

 spice exported increased to 8,862 cwt., the value had 

 diminished to £27,992. The spice exports of 1906 were 

 rather less in quantity than in the previous year — 

 8,166 cwt.; and the value was still further reduced— to 

 £24,941. 



Cotton and cotton seed are exported from Grenada, 

 being produced in Carriacou, where it is stated cotton lias 

 never ceased to be cultivated. It is satisfactory to note that 

 the cotton crop for 1906 was a very good one. In 

 1905, when unsatisfactory weather largely spoilt the cro]), no 

 more than 1,899 cwt. of cotton and 4,849 cwt. of seed, the 

 whole being worth £3,365, were exported : in 1906, the 

 exports had increased to 2,799 cwt. of cotton, and 7,526 cwt. 

 of seed, of the total value of £8,003. The cotton cultivated 

 in Carriacou ha.s, in the past, consisted of the .^[arie Galante 

 variety ; but it is pointed oat, that during 1906, a marked 

 increase was apparent in the area devoted to the culti\-ation 

 of Sea Island cotton, and it is believed that the cultivation 

 of this variety will continue to extend, as the peasants realize 

 its value. The Carriacou land settlement scheme is reported 

 as having shown satisfactory progress during 1906, and the 

 following remarks of the Commissioner of Carriacou, in 

 reference to the condition of the land already settled, is 

 quoted in the report : — 



' It is again my pleasing duty to record the marked 

 iiiqnovement displayed by many of the allottees in the care 

 and cultivation of their lioldings. At no period was this more 

 observable than during the terrible dnuiglit which prevailed 

 at Carriacou from December 1905, to -Tune 1906. 



' It is also gratifying to mention that the cultivation of 

 Sea Island cotton may now be regarded as assured among 

 pea.sant cultivators. Hitherto, although desirous of embark- 

 ing on an industry which, from the satisfactory results obtained 

 by the few pioneers of 1905, and for pecuniary reasons, 

 seemed specially attractive, the Carriacou peasant clung 

 hard (and with good reason) to his catch crop of peas and 

 corn, and was somewliat scejjtical as to whether cultivation of 

 Sea Island cotton might not interfere with these, or entail 

 a greater expenditure of care and labour than he was prepared 

 to outlay. The experience of 1906 lias, however, convinced 

 the doubting ones that good results are obtained with Sea 

 Island cotton even under local conditions of culture, and 

 further, that in the peculiarly adapted soil of Carriacou, Sea 

 Island cotton is quite as hardy as its Marie Galante confrere. 



