lET. AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



JAXtAEY 12, 1918. 



COTTON, 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



The report it ..Messrs. Henry W. Frost a: Co., on 

 Sea Island cotton in the .Southern States, for the week 

 ending Decern r.er I, 1917, is as follows: — 



isL.\Ni>s. The market remained quiet throughout the 

 week with onlv a liiuited demand, und with Factors unwill- 

 ing to .sell at any concession from prices previously ruling. 

 However, towards the clo.se, with the offering.s increa- 

 ing, .•-ouie .sale.*- were made at a decline of ic , on a 

 basis of Fine to Fully Fine at 73c., with some Factors 

 refusing to sell, and holding at 73J.c. to 74c. 



AVe quote, viz: — 



Fine to Fully Fine 73c. to 73J,c. = 7.!)C. to 7.5,',e. c.i.f. 



fJEOEoiAS AVh Fi,oi;iDA.'<. I)uring the early part of the 

 week the market wa.s dull, as the firm whith had been 

 buying largely, pre.sumably on account of Ooveniment con- 

 tracts, bad temporarily withdrawn, and there was apparently 

 no other demand. 



Neverthele.^s the market was firmly held and only sonic 

 firaall lots were sold at interior towns at any decline. 



Later on, towards the close, the firm buying on account of 

 the Government resumed purchases, admitting of the Factors 

 (telling their limited offerings at full prices. This renewal of 

 the demand renders all holders of cotton very firm in their 

 views, and encourages them to look for even higher prices. 



We quote, viz: — 



Extra Choice to Fancy 740. = 76c. c.i.f. 



Average Extra Choice 7 4c. =; 76c. „ 



The sxports from Savannah for the week were, to 

 Korthern MilL 1,103 bales, to S<aithern Mills 4C bales, and 

 from .Jacksonville to Northern Mills 2,.">9y hales 



BRITISH COTTON GROWING ASSOCIA- 

 TION 



The one hundred and sixty-.sLsth meeting of the 

 Council of the British Cotton Growing Association was held 

 at the Offices, l-"' Cross Street, Manchester, on Tuesday, 

 December 4, 1917. 



In the absence of the I'resident (The l;t. Hon. The Earl 

 oi Derby, K. G.) Mr. (.'harles Newton occupied the Chair. 



WEST AFKii A The distribution of cottc^n seed for the 

 new crop has now been completed, and it was reported that 

 833 tons had been distributed to native growers, as compared 

 with 780 tons for the previous year. It is hoped that the 

 climatic condition^ will remain favourable, and that the 

 increased quantity of cotton seed which has been distributed 

 will result in a larger crop during the coming year. 



.Shipments of cotton seed are nr.w coming forward from 

 West Africa more satisfactorily, and up to date the Associa- 

 tion has received about 1,100 tons, and if consignment.s 

 continue to be made at the present rate, it is anticipated that 

 a fair quantity of last year'is teed, which is a very valuable 

 foodstulf, will have been received by the time the new cotton 

 crop i.s ready for .'hijjment 



A report has been received from the Association's 

 Manager in Northern Nigeria deding with the increased 

 production of Alli^n's improved loi g staple cott. i,. This is 

 a v;.iiely of long stsplcd American cotton which Las been 

 introduced into Northern Nigtri . by the ("'Vcrnment 

 Agricultural Dep.-irtment, and th.- luantity grown by the 

 I v.tive- unctr snnervision has bt. n i^.follow:;: lOl.'Ml nil; 



1-I14 15, 12 bales: KM5-1G, 110 bale.-; and 191G17, 

 461 bales. The production during the jn^st season would 

 have been much greater had the climatic condition!, been 

 favourable, and there is every prospect that the cultivation 

 of this class of cotton will increase, as 13S tons of seed have- 

 been distributed to planters in certain specified district.s^ 

 where the cotton will not be mi.\ed with the native types. 

 The cotton commands a higher price, and gives a heavier yield 

 than the native varieties, and the price paid by the Associa- 

 tion daring the past season has been 1 ,'rf. per lb. of seed- 

 cotton on the railway, and IJ.rf. per lb. at out-stations. 



The i)urchases ot cotton in Lagos to November SO 

 amounted to 7,K07 bales, as com|)ared with 9,282 bales -for 

 the same period of last year, and 6,121 bales for 191.5. 



The purchases in Northern Nigeria to October 31 were 

 3,814 bales, as compared with 10,<I24 bales for the same 

 period of last year, and 773 ba'es for 1915. 



ARRANOEMENTS KOl; DEALI.Vi; WITH Ti(K. 19 1 7-1 S ( OTTON 



uROP. It was reported that in view of the difficulties of 

 shipping, the Government propose to oft'er to buy the 

 Uganda cotton crop through the agency of the different 

 firms engaged in buying and ginning cotton in l^anda. 

 The Government; have also offered to buy the West Indiaii 

 Sea Island cotton crop at the port of shipment at a fi.ved 

 price. The Nyasaland cotton crop has now all been mar- 

 keted, and, although the difficulties of shippins,' are very 

 acute, it has been decided that for the present there is no- 

 necessity for any intervention on the part of the Treasury. 

 With regard to West Africa, the buying of the cotton crop 

 has been left to the Association, as it is considered that the 

 difficulties of shipping may not be so great. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



XEVI-. The Agricultural In.structor, .Mr. W. I. Howell, 

 reporting for the month of November 1917, describes reap- 

 ing operations and preparation work in connexion with the 

 various plots in the Iv-^periment Stations. The following 

 plants, seeds, etc., were des^ributed from the Rotanic .station 

 during the month: onion seed, 127 lb.; sweet potato cuttings, 

 1, t.50; black-eye peas, .'id lb.; Lima beans, 5 lb. 



The dry weather during the month was very harmful 

 to the cane cro[), which was already veiy poor, and the crop 

 throughout the island is expected to be a very short one. 

 Sugar is being manufactured on some of the estates for tho 

 local market, where it fetches a good price The first picking 

 of cotton in the early fields is almost finished, and tho fields 

 are taking on a new jirosvth, but this is not very vigorous in 

 consequence of the dry wt-ather, which has given a very great 

 setback to the late fields, as bolldropping occurred to a great 

 e.xtent; hence the returns from this cotton will be much 

 below what was antiiipated. On account of the dry weather 

 also, very little planting of provision crops was done during 

 the month. The reaping of swci-t potatoes is in progress, 

 and the yam crop will soon be ready. Several small corn 

 mills we:e imported recently, and were practically all sold 

 to peasants. The rainfall for the month was 2 1 1 inches; 

 for the year to date, 42 'Ol inches. 



iiARiiui«A. In his notes on ilem.s of interest conccrniug 

 the Government estate, llarbudii, for the month of November 

 1917. the Agricultural Instructor, Mr. ('.A. (loniez, ?ncn- 

 tions that the picicing ol the cotton crop w,is in lull swingdur 

 ing the month, and approximately 12, "00 lb of .seed cotton 



