358 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 14, 1908. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholme & Holhind, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, unikT ilate of ()cCol)cr 2(i, with refer- 

 ence to the sales of West Indian Sea Island eotton : — 



Tlie Lancashire mills still continue closed, with the 

 result that there is little or no business ])assing iu any 

 description of cotton. However, aliout 50 liags of West 

 Indian Sea Islands, comprising Anguilla and Harbados at 14(/., 

 and St. Vincent at 17(/., have been re])orted for export. 



The American holders in Charleston and Savannah are 

 very eager sellers, but there is a general {'ensus of opinion 

 that prices are near the bottom, and that as soon as the strike 

 is over, better conditions will prevail. 



COTTON CROP IN THE SEA ISLANDS. 



Recent reports from Messrs. Henry W. Frost 

 & Co., of Charleston, state that the cotton crop in the 

 Sea Islands is being harvested early, but at ])resent the 

 demand is only moderate, and the market is quiet. 



In Me.ssrs. Frost's report dated October 1 7, it was men- 

 tioned that three planters' irops, kept fpvcr from last year's 

 cotton crop, were sold for England an<l France at prices 

 ranging fron! 32o. to 37c. So far as could be judged from the 

 o<ld bags of cotton received at that date, it was reported that 

 the character of the crop was very disappointing, the larger 

 projiortion classing as cotto'li of ' tine ' (juality, and as lower 

 grades. It was difKcidt to'.select any Cdtton of ipiality as 

 high as the ' fully fini^ ' graile. The Georgia cmp is ;ilso 

 described as consisting in lurge ])ropnrtion of cotton wliich is 

 irregular and short in staple, and wliidi will not Ihrrcfoi-c 

 command a high price. 



( )n October 24 Messrs Frost write : — 



The large iiroportion of odd bags received continu(^ to class 

 Mine," with only a .^niall percentage of ' fully tine.' The 

 ' fully fine ' cotton is being held firndy at 2(!c. jiei- lb., but 

 ' tine ' qtialities are selling at 24c. 



There has been some' demand at the aliove price.", 

 lirincilially on account of the Northern mills, and for export. 

 There has also been a demand from K.ngland for planters' 

 crop lots of last year, and from .'500' to 1,000 bales could 

 (nisily have been dispo.sed of, if factors had been willing to 

 sell at 30c. They are hohling out, however, for 32c. per 11'. 

 On October 31 Messrs. Frost report: — • 



The market has been quiet throughout the past week 

 with sales of only 250. odd bags at prices of iMc. per lb. tor 



. tine ' cotton, and 26c. for ' fully tine '. Receipts are increa.s- 

 ing, and stocks accumulating. 



The total amount of Sea Island cotton ginned in the 

 United States (from the Lslands, Carolinas, Floiidii and 

 (ieorgia) up to October 31, has been 32,462 bales, as against; 

 18,755 bales ginned to same date last year, This year, 

 hi>wever, the crop is being got in earlier. 



BRITISH COTTON GROWING 



ASSOCIATION. 



A meeting of the Council of the British Cottoi> 

 Growing Association was held at Manchester early iit 

 October, when some interesting p.irticulars in regard 

 to the progress of cotton growing in Africa were laid 

 before the members. 



It was re|)orted that a considerable ipiaiitity of cotton 

 of superior quality is now condng forward from the British 

 Fast Africa I'rotectorate. From Uganda and the districts 

 adjoining the great 'lakes good re[iorts were to hand, and it 

 is anticipated that .(he yield this season will amount to several 

 thousand bales of cotton, valued at h/. to 1^(/. per \b, over 

 U[iland American of medium quality. 



Tlie reports from Nya.s.saland continue favourable, and 

 shipments of last year's crops are now- conung forward. With 

 regard to ^Vest Africa, it was mentioned that the purchases 

 of cotton in Lagos for the month of September were equal to 

 70 liales, liringing the total [lurchases from the begininng of 

 the year up to 5,2lS4 bales. 



The Tamele district of the Xorthern Tciritoiics of the 

 (iold Coast has been described as well suited for cotton 

 growing, and it has been decided to obtain the opinion of au 

 expert as to the possibilities of cidtivation in the district. 



It was mentioned that a rejjort had been received on the 

 cultivation of ligy^tian cotton in Sind during 1907 The 

 area sown with J-lgyptian cotton was 6,835 acres. As far as 

 can be ascertainedt the total crop was between 1.700 and 

 1,S()0 bales of 400 tt). (Jood prices were obtained for the 

 cotton, which was f)rincii)ally sold for use in the Ahmedabad 

 and liondiay millsj 



The resolution' pa.ssed at tlie Conference with tlie West 

 Indian cottoivgrow'ing delegates in August last, urging 

 upon the Government the vital importance of establi.sjiing 

 a • entral Department for Tropical Agriculture was di.scussed, 

 and the opinion was expressed that everything possible 

 should be done to' push forward the establishment of such 

 a Uepartmeiit. 



