Vol. VII. No. 160. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



18t 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholmo & Holland, of Liverpool, 

 writiiio; under date of May 25 last., report as follows in 

 reference to the sales of Weirt Indi.m Sea L^iland 

 cotton : — ■ 



We are able to report a steadier tone about the luaiket 

 for West Indian Sea Island cotton, and 1,500 bales- have 

 been sold since our last report. With the exception of a few 

 fancy lots of Barbados and St. Kitt's, at 16^/., and several 

 .small lots of stains at 6(7. to f*'/., the bulk of the business 

 has been at H<i. to lorf., comprising cotton from the follow- 

 ing islands: — Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, Montserrat, Nevis, 

 .St. Croi.x, Ht. Kitt's, and St. Martin. 



Holders of Carolina cotton are still anxious to sell, and 

 would accept lo\''er prices if opportunity ottered. 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF 

 AGRICULTURE AND WEST 

 INDIAN COTTON INDUSTRY. 

 A memorandum recently issued b}' the United 

 States Department of As^riculture in relation to the 

 Sea Island cotton industry of the States is thus referred 

 to by the Deme'rara Clironicie of May 1.5 last: — 



The progress of the West Indian cotton industry, which 

 promises to prove the salvation of several of the smaller 

 islands, if not in course of time to become the staple indu.stry 

 of the.se colonies, is being followed with keen attention by 

 the officials of that admirably organized department, the 

 Hoard of Agriculture at Washington. In a memorandum 

 issued by the Department a few weeks ago the American 

 grower of Sea Island cotton is urged, in view of the progress 

 of the inilustry in the West Indies, to recognize that the 

 prices of his product depend on several factors, and that 

 quAlity is more important than (piantity. Sea Island cotton 

 produced in the West Indies, the Department admits, is not 

 only eijual to the average American - product, but competes 

 with the finest quality of cotton produced in the Ifnited States 

 — Carolina Sea Island — rather than with the inferior [product. 

 ' The West Indian industry,' it is added, 'is new, having been 

 developed mainly since 1902, and is yet of small |)roportions. 

 About S,000 f)ales [per aniuun are at present produced ; Ijut 

 the inihistry there may grow ra[iidly. It has ali-eady led the 

 South Carolina planters to organize in refusing to sell .seed.' 

 The moral arrived at is that American planters .should make 

 an organized effort to raise the standard of their product, and 

 it is pointed out that of the better grades a larger quantity 

 can be sold than is now jirodueed. Altogether the report is 

 of a thorough!}" encouraging nature to those interested in the 

 incbistry in the West Indian colonies. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



In their Sea Island cotton report, dated May 16 

 last, Jlessrs. Henry W. Frost & Co., of Charleston, 

 write : — 



The .sales during the past week were limited to one crop 

 lot, of 'fine' to 'fully fine' quality, sold on private terms for 

 France. Otherwise the market is very quiet. There is .still 

 .some en(]uiry for cotton of 'fully tine' and 'extra fine' quali- 

 ties, but at jirices below the views of factors, so that nothing 

 has resulted. 



( )n May 23, Messrs. Frost write : — 



The .sales reported reach only 1-50 bales, but they 

 amounted absolutely to 330 bales stained and tinged cotton. 

 The buying was for England, France, and northern mills. 

 Cotton now in stock is held at 30c. and upwards. 



The cotton report of May Iti cont.iins the follow- 

 ing note in relation to the area planted for the crop of 

 the coming year: — 



The acreage planted with Sea Island cotton in Carolina 

 is rejiorted t(p be about the same as last year. As regards 

 Georgia and Florida, tlie reports vary very much. In some 

 secti(jns a very large decrease is reported, ranging from 30 

 to 50 per cent., while in others a moderate decrease or none 

 at all is stated to have occurred. It^ is impossible to get 

 reliable estimates as to the actual acreages planted, but from 

 all we can gather, we would put the decrease of the cotton 

 area in Oeorgia and Florida at from 10 to 20 per cent. 



RICE REPORT FROM BRITISH 

 GUIANA. 



The latest fortnightly rice report (May 29 last), 

 issued by Messrs. Sandbach, Parker & Co., of Georgetown, 

 contains the following notes on present conditions in 

 British Guiana : — 



Kice planting proceeds steatlily, and tlie area in cultiva- 

 tion now exceeds that of any previous year. With a little 

 sunshine during the next few weeks, cultivation will be 

 further increased, and the young plants established. 



Local demand continues brisk, and prices have again 

 advanced. Shipments to the islands [West Indian] during 

 the fortnight amoiuit to about 2,200 bags. The shipments, 

 however, are now gradually falling off, island buyers being 

 unable to place orders at present prices ruling here. 



The local market is bare of cleaned rice, and stocks of 

 paddy are getting low. We expect to see higher prices before 

 the autunni crop is ready to be harvested. 



