342 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



OCTOBEE 31, 1908. 



Liverpool, 

 under date October 12, with reference 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenhol'me & Holland, of 

 write as follows 

 to the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



Owing to the strike, most of the mills u.-;ing ^ea Island 

 cotton are clo.sed, with the result that only about 120 lialfs 

 of West Indian Sea Island cotton have been soM, and tliese 

 chiefly for export. 



The sales imliide .Vii.uuilla and Antii;na at i3]r/., 

 Barbados at 14'/., St. Vincent at \(<}//., and a few Stains 

 and Lintel's. ,i 



The American Sea Island cotton is connng forward, but 

 until there is some ])ro.s})ect of a .settlement in the strike, 



spinners in tin untry arc not disposed to enter into 



operations. 



COTTON IN THE SEA. ISLANDS. 



Tlie Sea Island cotton rc|iOrts of Mes.srs. W. W. 

 Gordon & t'o., of Savannah, dated October 2 and 9 respec- 

 tively, both speak of the favourable weather which prevails 

 in the Sea Islands for gathering in the cotton crop, and pick- 

 ing is stated to be in acti'v'e progress. The market conditions 

 have been <iuiet so far, and few sales have beeu ettected. 

 It is mentioned that the strike in Lanca.shire, and political 

 conditions in the United States and in F.urope are all 

 again.st an advance in price. 



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

 writing on October H, report as follows : — 



The total receipts to date of new season's cotton from 

 the Sea I.slands amount to 555 bales. As the crop will be 

 coming in freely from now on, factors have given out samples 

 of lots so far received, and are anxious for the market to open. 

 The prices asked are : ' extra fine ' (piality 30c. per lb , ' fully 

 fine ' 2!^c., and ' tine ' 27c. per 111. These figures are .sonuv 

 what above the views of buyers, and no sales have been made 

 as vet. The croii lots arc not yet being otferi'd for sule. 



COTTON GROWING AT TOBAGO. 



8onu; interesting notes (prepared by Mr Tlioiinis 

 Thornton. A. H.C.S.) on the possibilities of Sea Island 

 cotton cultivation at Tobago are printed as one of ihv 

 appendices to the repoi-f on the proceedings of the late 

 Cotton Coidereiice at M.anehcster. 



It is evident that cotton was formerly a crop of great 

 value at Tobago. According to a reliable .source of informa 

 tion over 2,500,000 lb. of cotton were produced in the island 

 in 1780. and in the Ki>ci/<l<ij,aedia Jirilannim (1854 edition) 



mentioned that the cotton f)f finest quality ever placed 

 on the English market was grown on (iolden (h-ove estate, 

 Tobago, about the year 17i)0. 



Experiments in the cultivation of Sea Island cotton have 

 been carried on in ,the island during the past few years under 

 the Agricultural Department. Some estates have started 

 trial cultivation.s, and a number of peasants planted cotton, 

 on a small scale. Although the crop unfortunately did not 

 receive the care and attention given to it in the other island.s, 

 .some of the cotton produced compared favourably with that 

 grov.-n elsewhere. "Eor the 1908 planting, the Agricultural 

 Department imported 1,200 It), of the best cotton seed from 

 Barbados, and thi.s will be .sold to gro^\'ci-s at cost ])rice. It 

 was generally expected that a much larger acreage of the 

 crop will lie planted than in past years. 



To encourage the industry, the Government of Trinidad 

 and Tobago has erected a ginnery at Scarborough. T^v(^ 

 power gins have been installed, and this season's work has been 

 connnenced. Six. bales of cotton have alieady been ginned, 

 but it is of importance to mention that the factory is in 

 a working condition, ready to gin all the cotton that will be 

 produced in the island for some time to come. Not only has 

 the (lovernment erected a ginnery, but £150 was set apart 

 for the encouragement of Sea Island cotton cultivation in 

 1907-8. For the year 1908-9, £300 more has been .set 

 apart for the .same purpose. 



CYCLONE DAMAGE TO COTTON AND 

 OTHER CROPS AT MONTSERRAT. 



According to the Mual'fcrrat llcrulil (jf October 

 10, the cyclone whicli passed over the island afortnigiit 

 previous did considerable damage to the cotton and 

 other crops in some parts, although in others no injury 

 whatever was experienced. 



At Ivoach's, about 50 per cent, of .Mr. .lolinson's erop is 

 leported to have been destroyed, and .some fields have had tfi 

 lie replanted. Dagenham estate did not .sutler at all, while 

 at Webbs and Amer.sham, the damage done is estimated at 

 10 per cent, of the value of the crop. At O'Garas a 5-acre 

 tield of cotton was entirely destroyed, and in St. (Jeorge, 

 Whites and Ketliel lost about 50 per cent, of their cotton 

 lultivations. In .St. Peter, Mr. .1. Harper of liraid was the 

 chief .surterer, the damage done to his cotton being estimated 

 at fi'om 25 to 30 per cent, of the value of the whole. 



The bread-friut and banana crops at Montserrat were also 

 largely damaged. The bread-fruit trees were either uprooted 

 or the fruit broken oft" by the gale, while it is re|iorted that 

 practically all the banana trees in the island have been 

 destroyed. 



