326 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



October 11, 1913. 



FIBRES. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholine and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 VTite as follows, under date September •22, with 

 reference to the sales of West Indian Sea Island 

 cotton : — 



Since our last report the largest buyers of West Indian 

 cotton were approached, with a view to moving off the 

 stock, and, although thej' have no immediate want of cotton 

 for several month.s, they have relieved the situation by 

 purchasing about 1,.300 bales, and these will probably have 

 lo be stocked for several months before being used. 



The sales include about 500 bales St. Vincent chiefly 

 from 19rf. to 2Qd , with a few lower lots at IGirf. to 18d., and 

 feettcr parcels at 21(/ ; about 400 bales Antigua, chiefly IGid. 

 to 17Ad , and the remainder composed of St. Martin, Nevi.s 

 Montserrat, Anguilla, St. Kitts, St. (.'roix, Barbados and 

 St. Eustatius, from 16^rf. to 17W., together with very 

 superior stains at lid. and off-coloured cotton 13d. to 15rf. 



Whether these sales will lessen the demand for early 

 new crop cotton when it comes forward, depends largely on 

 the quality. If the crop is better than last season, spinners 

 might continue to add to stock; otherwise they naturally are 

 not in immediate want. 



The report of Messrs. Henry W. Frost & Co., on 

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending .September 20, is as follows: — 



With the exception of a sale of 28 bales Extra Fine off 

 in preparation, of old crop cotton, the market remains quiet 

 and unchanged. 



Of the new crop, the receipts this week were only 

 3 bales, making 6 bales to date, and it probably will not be 

 before the early part of October that the receipts will be 

 sufliciently large for any of the new crop to be shown on the 

 market. We nominally renew our last quotations: — 



Extra Fine 28c. to 29c. = 16d. to IGirf. c.i.f., & 5per cent 



Fully Fine 26c. to 27c. = Hfrf. to 15irf. „ „ „ „ 



Fine 2.5c. = H^rf. „ „ „ „ 



ExtraFmeotfU^^^^2g^_j3^^^j 



in preparation ; ■^ .mm h n 



= 12hd. 



= Hid. 



I preparatii 

 Fully Fine off 1.,,^ 

 in preparation/"" 

 Fine off in \ ^q^. 

 j)reparation ) " 



This report shows that the total exports of Sea 

 Island cotton from the United States to Liverpool, 

 Manchester and Havre up to September 20, 1913, 

 were 31 1 bales, 397 bales, and .50 bales, respectively. 



^^^ 



Cotton Problems in Louisiana.— Circular 

 No. 130 of the Bureau of Plant Industry, fnited States 

 Department of Agriculture, suggests the following mea.sures 

 of improvement in regard to cotton cultivation in Louisiana.- 

 (1) The investigation of new ^ngstaple varieties of cotton 

 and improved cultural methcds; (2) the organization of cotton- 

 growing communities, particularly in regard to protection 

 against the l^oll weevil; (3) the education of the consumer 

 regarding the value of long-staple cotton as a means of secur- 

 ing strength and durability in clothing and other textile 

 products; (4) the acclimatization of other tropical crops to 

 ensure a diversification of agriculture. 



THE EAPOK INDUSTRY. 



Much information concerning kapok or silk cotton,, 

 the product of the tree Erlo<hadron anfractuosum,. 

 has been given in the Agricultural Neics (see \'ol. XI, 

 p. 324). Recently the Department of Public In- 

 struction of the Philippine Islands has issued 

 a Bulletin (No. 2(1) which describes the various details 

 of this important industry. As regards the possibilities 

 of its development in the Philippines, the writer of 

 the Bulletin offers the foUowiiiSj remarks: — 



Heretofore the principal drawbacks to the production of 

 kapok in the Philippines for export purposes have been the 

 ignorance of the producers as to the full merits and value of 

 the product in the markets of the world, and also the lack of 

 suitable machinery for cleaning it. These drawbacks may be^ 

 said to have now been eliminated. The necessary informatioa 

 has been given lo both producers and local buyers, suitable 

 machines of large abd medium capacities are now available, 

 and it is now hoped that the industry will develop in response- 

 to the increasing demand for the product, and to the extent 

 warranted by its admirable qualities. 



The principal steps in the kapok industry which claim 

 the attention of the prospective producer and upon which. 

 depends hi.s ultimate success are: First, the judicious selec- 

 tion of a location having suitable soil and climatic conditions- 

 second, the necesssity of raising kapok on a large scale or ia 

 localities of sufficient propinquity; third, the adoption of the 

 proper cultural method by which kapok can most economi- 

 cally and conveniently be raised; and fourth, the use of 

 modern machinery for cleaning and baling the product, as 

 well as the exercise of judicious methods in the handling of 

 it prior to and after cleaning. 



A careful review of the statistics showing the productioo 

 and value of kapok floss and seed in Java will conclusively 

 prove that a serious attempt toward the establishment of this 

 industry in the Philippines is justified. The Kureau of Agri- 

 culture is well satisfied with the outlook for this industry, 

 and several communications have recently been received from 

 a number of manufacturers in the United States who are 

 desirious of handling the Philippine product, and who have 

 quoted prices ranging from 65 to 90 centavos per kilo, laid 

 down in New York or San Francisco. These facts, together 

 with the facility of raising kapok in the Philippines and its 

 freedom from any dangerous enemies or disease, should 

 recommend to the attention of the Philippine planters as 

 well as the Philippine buyers and exporters, the advisibility 

 of building up this industry and endeavouring to supply the 

 larger part, at least, of the American and Australasian 

 markets. The Java product enters the United States market 

 free of duty; and our product must, therefore, for the i)resent 

 at least, compete on even terms. As regards the Australasian 

 market, both Java and the Philippines are also on the same 

 footing; this is no reason, however, why the latter should not 

 be able, in the near future, to supply a large part of the 

 demand from the neighbouring British Colonies. 



The possibility of establishing a kapok industry 

 in the West Indies is not very hopeful, owing to the 

 comparatively small size of the estates bound uji in 

 other interests. Isolated silk cotton trees occur, 

 however, and the fibre should always be collected 

 where possible, unless, as in St. \'incent, it is desirable 

 to destroy these trees owing to their harbourinc 

 a pest of a fibre that is far more valuable than kapok. 



