322 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



October 17, 1908. 



sound one, even at the present moderate prices. Growers 

 could not regulate the market price, but it was an 

 undoubted fact that the power of improving the condi- 

 tions of the industry and the average return per acre 

 was well within their reach, provided they devoted 

 close attention to seed selection, and pl.intc(l the varie- 

 ties best suited to local conditions. The possiljilities 

 that lay in this direction were evident from the 

 work done by one grower at Barbados, and already 

 referred to. By careful attention to see<i selection, 

 in co-operation with the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, with the object of raising a moie 

 hardy and prolific race of plants, this planter had 

 succeeded in producing a type of cotton which has 

 been recognized as the most useful kind ever grown in 

 the West Indies. In addition, this particular sort gave 

 a heavier yield than any other variety, and was said, 

 also, to be less liable to disease. 



The returns of cotton obtained in some parts of the 

 "West Indies were undoubtedly in many cases dimin- 

 ished by disease, but the Imperial Commissioner 

 expressed his conviction, that if planters were to 

 regularly follow the advice given them by the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture there would be much less 

 disease. Whole fields of olil cotton, covered with scale 

 insects, or affected with other pests, may not infre- 

 quently be seen side by side with young cotton, and no 

 industry can possibly flourish under such conditions. 

 To limit the ravages of disease, common action must be 

 taken in each island or district. This has been done in 

 Montscrrat with excellent results. In the early days ut 

 the industry in that island the cotton plants were badly 

 attacked by the leaf-blister mite and by black boll, and 

 the average returns per acre were very (iiscouraging. 

 About three years ago, Montserrat growers, on the 

 recommendation of the Imperial Department of Agri- 

 culture, agreed to plant .selected seed only, to cultivate 

 highly, and to get rid of all the ol<l plants before start- 

 ing with the new crop. The result of this system of 

 ■working is evident from the fact that the highest 

 average crop return yielded in any portion of the 

 West Indies during the 'past season was obtained .it 

 Montscrrat. This was at the rate of 1 T.') lb. of lint 

 per acre. 



A point t(i which attention was drawn at the 

 Conference by the Manchester spiiuicrs, and one which 

 might profitably be considered by cotton growers, as 

 another factor atfecting the returns obtainable in their 

 industry, is the manner in which cotton is baled and 

 sent forward to England. With any commodity it is 

 likely that the manner in which it is put up and pLncd 



on the market will have a certain iuHuence on the 

 price obtained. This is especially probable when 

 neglect in sorting and forwarding in convenient lot 

 entails e.xtra trouble on the purchaser. It was 

 mentioned by ]VJ.t. C. M. Wolstenholmc, of the firm of 

 Messrs. Wolste-nholme & Holland, who have handled 

 the greater part of the Sea Island cotton grown in the 

 West Indies, that while cotton from Barbados 

 came forward ve'ry well graded, and in convenient lots, 

 this could not be said in regard to the other islands, 

 with the possible exception of Antigua. It was stated 

 that n.any planners, whose produce may amount to 

 10 bales, forward this in ten separate shipments, and 

 with no ettbrt made to assort the contents. It is 

 obvious that the best returns cannot be obtained in 

 such cases, and it is distinctly in the interest of planters 

 to save their crop until 8 or 10 bales, all under one 

 mark, can be sent forward at once. If the lint is well 

 graded, the shipment sells more easily, and at a higher 

 price. 



It may be mentioned that among the papers laid 

 before the Conference was one containing a statement 

 showing the amount and estimated value of the cotton 

 (lint and seed) exported from the West Indian colonies 

 during the period from January 1, 1902, to June 30, 

 1908. From this it is satisfactory to note that the 

 steady increase in value of the industry has been 

 continued during the past year. For the year ended 

 September 30, 1907, the weight of lint shipped was 

 2,013,(')f)8 lb., while the total value of the produce 

 (lint and seed together) dining that year was .i;i8(j,ol0. 

 At the time of the Manchester Conference, Customs 

 returns were available only for the first nine months 

 of the yearl907-8 ; but during this period the weight 

 of lint exported totalled 2,ti-i8,613 ll>,, and the value of 

 the lint and seed together reached £215,150. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Seedling Canes D. 130 and B. 306 in Mauritius. 



The above, two canes have been grown at the 

 Agricultural Experiment Stations in .Mauritius, and 

 also on several estates in the island, during the past 

 five years. The first crop of plant (tanes on a commer- 

 cial-scale was obtained in ]9()4. It woidd appear that 

 while D. 130 has given very good results, the cane B. 30(j 

 is far from being satisfactory in the colony. The 

 following details are taken from the latest aiunial 



