86 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



:March 21, 1908. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



In their Sea Island cotton report of February 22 

 last, Messrs. Henry W. Frost & Co., of Charleston, write 

 as follows with reference to the condition of the 

 market : — 



With the rontiinit'il absence of deiiiainl the market 

 remains at a stand, and normally unchanged. In (inler to 

 effect sales, however, we think that factors would be willing 

 to make con.siderabe concessions from their asking prices. 

 We give the following ijuotations : Fully tine to extra tine, 

 38c. to 40c. ; fine, 3.5c.; fine to fully tine, but tinged and 

 stained, 2'2c. to2.oc. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Jlessrs. Wolsteiiholiiio & Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date March 2, with reference to 

 the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



Since our last report about 2<'<0 bales West Indian Sea 

 I.sland cotton have been sold, comprised of about 1.50 l>arba- 

 do.s, chiefly at 17},(/., with a few at 18</. and IS^,*/., 80 

 Montserrat, at 17(1. to 18i</., 10 Superior Nevis at 18(/., 25 

 St. Kitt's nid. to 18(7., with a few odd bags at 19rf. 



The tendency of the market is downwards, quotations 

 being reduced Id. per ft)., and buyers are very particular in 

 selecting the lots which they care to purchase, as they are 

 only buying for immediate reijuirements, and in the i)re.sent 

 .state of trade will not add to their stock. 



COTTON CROP OF ST. VINCENT. 



Mr. W. N. Sands, Agricultural Superintendent of 

 St. Vincent, has forwarded to the Imperial Commissioner 

 of Agriculture the following report on the l!)()(i-7 cotton 

 crop of tlie island : — 



The estimated St. Vincent Sea Island cotton crop is 

 1,200 bales of .SG3 lb. ea-h. Abnut 1,000 bales have been 

 ginned to date. The prices realized for the first shi])ment 

 have been from 20(/. to 25rf. per lb., but with a failing 

 market, lower prices are expected for the later shi[iinents. 

 The yield generally has not bei^n .so good as last year. This 

 was due to an exceiitionally wet December ; in fact December 

 was the wette.st month of the last year. Owing also to thi.s 

 fact, growers were not .ible to prepa"e their <'nttnn for the 

 ginneries as well as in previous .sea.sons. 



In the (Jrenidines, liowever, good returns liave been 

 obtained. In some cases they readied nearly a bale an acre, 

 i'icking being finished on moSt estates, planters are now 

 ludling up and burning the cotton stalks. Tnle.ss this 

 <]prralion is etfectively carried out generally, the leaf-blister 

 mite and black si'ale will do a great deal of damage to the 

 foming .season's crop. 



WHIST INDIAN SEA ISLAND COTTON. 



In a pamphlet lately issued by the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, ' Sea Island Cotton : Its Culture, 

 Im])rovenient and Diseases', the following note occurs 

 on the development of the West Indian Sea Ishind 

 cotton industry: — 



Sea Island cottofi )jroduced in the West Indies is e<jual 

 to the average American product, and indeed competes with 

 the Carolina Sea Island cotton rather than with the interior 

 jjroduct. The West Indian industry is new, having been 

 developed mainly since 1902, and is yet of .small proportions. 

 (Jrdy about 4,000 bales per annum are at jiresent produced ; 

 but the industry there may grow i-ajiidly It has already led the 

 South Carolina planters to organize in refusing to sell seed. 



The Sea Island grower will therefore recognize that the 

 prices of his croj) depend on several factors, and that ijuality 

 is more important than quantity. Organized efforts should 

 be made to raise the standard of length and preparation in 

 order to avoid competition with cheaper cotton. Of the 

 better grades a larger (juantity can be .sold than is now 

 jiroduced. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON IN SOUTH 

 CAROLINA. 



The accompanying note, from Faruirr'.^ Bidletln 

 ■Id.' of the United' States' Department of Agriculture, 

 instances the value of seed selection as a chief lactor 

 towards the production of the best (piality Sea Island 

 cotton : — 



In the Charleston distiict of Soutli t'arolina the finest 

 cotton is that grow,^i by a limited muiiber of jilauters who 

 have for many years paid the nio.st careful attention to .seed 

 selection. Their cotton is not only long and fine, but it is ])icked 

 with so nuich regard to cleanliness and uniformity that the 

 grower's private brand on the ]iackage is often a sufficient 

 gnai-antee of its quality. 



These fine ' crop lots ' comprise about 35 per cent, of 

 tlie c.)tton marketed in Charleston, and .sell for from 30c. to 

 GOc. a pound. They are all exported. The demand for this 

 extra tine and high-priced cotton is very limited. The 

 remainder of the South Carolina cro]) i.s .sold in the usual 

 maimer at lower prices. The higher price .secured for South 

 ( 'arolina cotton is Uu'gely because of its superior preiiaration 

 all stained and wi'ak cotton and bits of leaf being removed 

 before lialing. The exercise of every possible care in prepara- 

 tion may mean a ditference of from 5c. to 10c. per lb. to the 

 grower. Loss of grade is due to exposure of weather befoi-e 

 picking, to storing or ginning when too wet, and especiallv to 

 the presence of stained or yellow cottiai and bits of leaf or 

 other tra-^li. 



