374 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



NovemEek 2S, 1908. 



WEST INDIAtJ COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholuu^ A: Holbiml, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date of November 9, with 

 reference to ihe sales of Wett Indian Sea Lsland 

 cotton : — 



About "i-oO bale.s of West Indian Sea Islands have been 

 sold since our last re;iort, at fairly steady pricps. They 

 include about 100 St. Kitt's at l:V/. to 14^7, nO St. Vincent 

 at lid. to IGiL, and 50 .Montserrat at 12(f. to N'/. 



The stock of Fine Crop Islands held in Charleston all 

 through last season is rather a dejjressing feature in tlie 

 market, but on the other hand Florida cotton, which has 

 recently been selling at 10 j;^/., has advanced to ll|rf,, and 

 graded Carolina Island cotton is selling freely on the basis of 

 r2f</. for ' Fine ' and \^i/. for ' Fully Fine.' This latter is 

 .stronger ill staple than the bulk of the West Indian cotton 

 still remaining on hand, and is consequently licing purchased 

 in preference at the moment. 



We are inclined to the opinion that the market will go no 

 lower, and with an imi)rovenient in trade, it would advance. 



BARBADOS CO-OPERATIVE COTTON 

 FAC'IORY. 



The si.xth report of the Karliados Co-operative 

 Cotton Factory, dealing with tiie working during the 

 year ended September 30 last, was ri'cently submitted 

 to the shareholders, and adopted. The results for the 

 year are considered very satisfactory. The following 

 form the chief points in the report: — 



After deducting the cost of materials, labour, expenses 

 of management, etc., the net proHt for the year amounts to 

 .'58,490-28, which together witji the balance brought forward 

 from September 30, 1907, makes a total of f 12,070-21. 



Of tlie above sum, the Directors have given ^HO'OO as 

 a bonus to the staff of tlu' factory. They recou:mend that 

 the remaining $12,-")00-21 be appropriated as follows : — 



(1) That a divideml at the rate of 12 per cent.be 

 declared, e(|ual to 2S'Sc. per. share, and amounting to 

 .|3,(19()-11. 



(2) That .'?l,0()Obe transferred to the lieserve Fund, 

 increasing tliis to •'?4,000. 



(3) That 2 per cent, of the cost of the factory lauldings 

 and plant, amounting to i?()02-30, be written off. 



(4) That a bonus, at the rate of 4c. per 100 Bj. of 

 seed-cotton, be given to those persons who have sent cotton 

 to the factory to be giinied and shipped on their account. 

 This will absorb *927 -21. 



The eight gins which were not in place at the end of the 

 last lialf-year have been creeled, ;nid the I'actcn-y is now fully 

 equipped. 



GRADING OF COTTON. 



The picking season has now begun throughout the 

 West India Islands, and planters are again recom- 

 mended to be most careful with their crop. 



Proper picking bags should be supplied to all the picker.*, 

 and all dirty or stained cotton should be kept separate from the 

 clean cotton, as it is picked in the field. 



The first cotton to burst is always weak, and should be 

 kept apart from the main crop. It .-should be put on one 

 side until the end of the first picking, and the cotton last 

 gathered — which is also of an inferior character — Tuay be 

 added to it. On no"account should the cotton obtained at the 

 beginning an<l at the end of tlie [licking be nii.\ed «ith tlie 

 main crop, nor shoidd stained cotton be allowed to be nii.xed 

 with the finer (|ualities. When mi.xed cotton is sent for .sale 

 on the i'aiglish market, the price obtained is based on the value 

 of the M-orst quality cotton in the liale, but if it should by 

 accident be paid for as fir.st quality cotton it will only arouse 

 suspicion against the estate mark, and [lerhaps against 

 the whole cotton cw\> shiiiped from the particular island. 

 Several complaints have recently been made by buyers in 

 Englaiul of mi.xed cotton, and therefore planters are advised to 

 be particidarly careful during the present sea.son. The main 

 bulk of fir>t pickings should alone be shipiied as first quality, 

 while the beginning and end of the picking should be shipped as 

 .seconil grade. Stains should be .shipjied fiy themselves. The 

 estates can easily keep those jjortions of their cotton crop 

 separate, but this is almost an impossible matter after it has 

 been sent to the ginnery. Some of the cotton factories in the 

 West Indies attempt to undertake the sorting of badly graded 

 cotton, l.ut llii^ can never be .so successfully accomiilislied a.s 

 upon the estates themselves, and therefore planters are 

 strongly urged to pay particular attention to grading their 

 produce before it is .sent to tlie factoiT. 



Ill those islands where second and third pickings are 

 obtained, planters are advised to kee|) those pickings sel>arate 

 from the cotton obtained at the first picking. It Ins been 

 f<mnd that the cotton of the first jiieking is longer and finer 

 than that of the second, and it also has a lielter lustre ami 

 natural twist. Secoiid jiicldng cotton contains less weak fibre 

 than first picking, but is more brittle. It is generally shorter 

 and lacks lustre. Third picking cotton has a large jnoportioii 

 of weak fibre and is very wasty. 



In order, therefore, that the high position West 

 Indian cotton has gained upon the market may be main- 

 tained, it would be well if thi' several pickings should 

 be kept entirely se]iarate, and shijipod as different 

 grades. It is more than probable that estates wliich 

 attend carefully to this matter would so(Ui establish 

 a rcjnitation for their mark, and thereby command 

 a slightly higher price, than that of the general market. 



