Vol. XVII No. 414. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWb. 



therefore, if kept pure, would .supply for all time cottons of 

 a regular and trustworthy character. It is truly unfortunate 

 that this so far unique Tchievement in cottun growing should 

 have been wrecked by the scientists at present responsible 

 for the quality of Egyptian cotton. 



Let us turn now to the other (juestion. Are the reports 

 on samples, made by spinners, ot any value to the grower.' 

 There is a theory put forward occasionally that the only 

 indication of merit which should guide the grower is the 

 price which can be obtained, ard further that in the matter 

 of samples, the best guide for the grower is the cotton broker's 

 valuation. There is an appearance of truth in these sayings, 

 but the real defect of all this kind of talk is that it ignores 

 the p )ssibility of there being made any scientific analysis of 

 the characteristics of cotton which produce particular re-^ults 

 iu yarn and in manufactured iniiterial. If nothing can 

 be known of the real nature of cotton in use. or again 

 if nothing can be done to modify the cotton of a district or 

 country so a.s to make it better in some characteristic 

 or another for its purpose — then certainly, why need we 

 trouble at all.' We might even do without the expense 

 of llotanists in our Agricultural l*epartments. But surely 

 there is a promise of better things thaa this in the years 

 to come. 



It is true that in examining small samples of cotton we 

 have many difficulties. First there is inaccuracy. Samples 

 are .sometimes labelled badly even by the scientific people. 

 The people in our mills, on whose unrecognized care and 

 patience every detail depend.s. are not trained observers, and 

 have many other duties to perform, and mistakes may some- 

 times occur. Again much judgment is required. Machinery 

 has to be set to suit the cotton in use. It is a delicate 

 matter to set correctly for a small .sample, and incorrect set- 

 ting may falsify the result. Such a cotton as 310. tor example, 

 requires to be worked among its equals, the Sea Islands: 

 .ind it put through machines set for Mitafifi or other robust 

 but short cottons would be condemned as in fact it has been 

 .-lOmetiines. \'et much has been already learnt by te?;ting 

 samples. It is a truism to say that it is the spinner's verdict 

 :ibout a cotton that eventually decides its value. It is also 

 (4 truth to say that all .spinners, and at any rate most brokers, 

 are continually, though for the most part unconsciously, 

 modifying and correcting their judgment of cotton in the 

 light of the lessons they learn from cotton in use. 



What is wanted in the future is to elaborate the organi- 

 rtaticn for testing samples. It is at present impossible to 

 !_iake these tests anywhere else than in ordinary mills. But 

 the control of the sampling must be in scientific hands. It 

 lau&t, of course, be absolutely impartial, but besides this it 

 ijiist be accompanied by accurate examination of single 

 fibre characteristics. Of Dr. Balls's three cottons, 9"> is gen- 

 erally judged to be shorter than 77 or 111, yet it has 

 invariably made the strongest yarn. The reason for this 

 li not known: it will be one of the duties of the Cotton 

 Research Association to ascertain why some cottons make 

 stronger yarn than do others oi greater length. It is proper 

 ro add here that many tests have been made of these three 

 ^■.tton- grown indifferent places and under ditterent con- 

 .-.itions. The results have not been, as the editor thinks, 

 i ntradictory, but quite extraordinarily uniform. 



Another thing that will be necessary, if satisfactory 

 V ::uks are to be obtained by testing samples, will be to have 

 tte records properly kept and inde^ied. Some West Indian 

 ■ o:ton> have now been tested for >everal years, and progress 

 noticed. The scientists in Egypt 1. 11 us that they sent their 

 Miiraples on one occasion 'marked with numbers instead of 

 tbe usual indications.' This is thf kind of silly precaution 



which will have to be foregone in the future if o ir scientific 

 work at home is to be made of use to scientists working on 

 the growth of cotton. In the operations by which ih^ cottott 

 is cleaned and spun, and again, in all the testing and exam- 

 ination, prejudice must be and is always avoided by working 

 under numbers, but to make the practical tests useful it is 

 necessary that all available information should oe given to the 

 scientist in charge. Co operation between scientists at home 

 and abroad is impossible without mutual confidence. 



It is to be regretted for many reasons that the scieTitific 

 study of cotton in Egypt, so promisingly begun by Dr. Balls, 

 should have been interrupted, but I trust that thoughtful 

 people in Lancashire will not jump to the conclusion that all 

 scientific work in cotton breeding is consequently useless. 

 It will be one of the ad\antages of a strong .Vssociation for 

 Research, of which practically all spinners are members, that 

 it will put an end to certain petty jealousies which have 

 retarded progress in the past, and will speak and act with 

 authority that ha.'- necessarily V)een absent from the efforts 

 of individuals. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS. 



February has been a showery month in most distctetsj 

 Although the total rainfall for the month \vill probably not- 

 exceed that for February 1917, the chiracter of the weather 

 has been more favourable for the starting of the yoang 

 crops. 



The lighter crop, combined with the highly remunerative 

 price of syrup, will cause a smaller output from the factories 

 this year than last year. And it will be remembered that 

 last year the amount of sugar made by the factories turning 

 out crystals was 5,000 tons less than tue output in 1916. 

 We believe that it is gradually da»vning on the planting 

 community that the present factory .system, or rather lack 

 of system, is very imperfect. No doubt what has been done 

 is a great improvement on the old system of sugar manofac 

 ture, but we are still some way off from what is being done in 

 up-to-date factories. In future nothing less than a l4-roller 

 mill should be put down with everj" accessory for the 

 recovering of the highest percentage of sugar content 

 and with every labour-saving device. In connexion with the- 

 improvement of our factory system we should also include the 

 sugar chemist. His knowledge is very necessary, if loss in 

 manufacture, even with the most up-to-date equipment 

 is to be avoided. 



We are very glad to be able to report that the young 

 crop is everywhere growing well. In many fields several 

 shoots are to be seen in each hole, and the recent showers 

 will be of great help where there may be any irregularity or 

 backwardness. 



The provision crops have shared in the benefit bestowed 

 by the recent showers, notably Indian corn, which has been 

 largely planted. Too much of this cereal cannot l)e sown ai 

 the present time, and all that is grown, however great the 

 quantity, could be disposed of at a remunerative price. A 

 good deal of the meal being sold in the groceries has been 

 made from corn imported from St. Vincent and the .\rgentine. 

 The same could be done ^\ith corn grown locally. 



In the black soil, land is now available for tillage f"r 

 potatoes. We sngaest that on every red ^oil estate a fi-l I 

 of second or third ratoons be cut, if even not quite lipe, k > 

 that foodstuffs may be generally planted with each rain. 



The price of potatoes has been fixed at 7 lb. for 10 cenis. 

 (The A'iricultural /'e/.ortfr, February 23, 191f<.) 



