.342 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



0-TOBEK 25, 1913. 



FIBRES. 



RUBBER. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Mesors. Wolsienholiiie aixi Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date October 6, with reference 

 •to the sales of West Indian Sea Island notion: — 



The maket had been very ijuiet for West Indian Sea 

 Island cotton since our last report and no sales have taken 

 place. 



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



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



• ending October 4, is as follows: — 



Although the total receipts to date are 82 bales, 

 Factors have not yet sampled or placed them on the market 

 for sale. The market, therefore, has not yet opened, and 

 probably will not for a week or more. 



There has been no inquiry for the old crop and we 

 nominally renew our last quotations, viz : — 



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



Fully Fine 26c. to27c. = 14|d. to 1.5J<i , 



Fine 2.5c. = 14|rf. „ „ ,, „ 



_^^*^'^F'°^°*^|24c.to26c. = 13Utol4R„ „ „ „ 

 :tn preparation ; ' ' 



Fully Fine off i.,., _ ,.-,,, 



«n preparation j 



Fine off in \ .,q : ^ j 1 1^ 



j)reparation J 



This report shows that the total exports of Sea 



Island cotton from the United States to Liverpool, 



Manchester and Havre up to October 4, 1913, were 



l,;-537 bales, 2,097 bales, and 331 bales, respectively. 



MOVEMENT OP THE STOMATA IN 



COTTON PLANTS. 



According to the Ex/iiriiiient Station .Secorrf, Vol. XXVIII, 

 No. 9, F. E. Lloyd in America, has successfully devised 

 a method for observing in the field the movement of 

 stomata The method, it is said, enables accurate measure- 

 raent.s to be made of the living stomata of leaves with 

 a thickness of .5 mm. without any injury to them. The 

 observations on the stomata of the cotton plant showed that 

 they were practically all closed at night. There was a strong 

 tendency to open in the early morning. The perceptible 

 <iaily opening begins about 6.30 a.m. in Alabama in 

 September, and the maximum is attained at about 8.30 or 

 9 o'clock, after which closure progresses until 1 1 o'clock 

 or somewhat later. There is said to be no temporary 

 opening of the stomata during wilting, although a marked 

 rise in the rate of transpiration followed by a sudden 

 reduction of rate was observed about half an hour after 

 wilting begins. 



In the study of the amount of leaf water in cotton 

 leaves, the author found it varied in proportion to the 

 dry weight between 318 and 220 per cent. The loss of leaf 

 water is from 7 to 15 per cent, of the initial amount of 

 sunrise. This last is taken as indicative of the daily wilting 

 which begins about the ninth hour. It seems that under 

 ueual day conditions the roots are unable to supply loss of 

 water from the leaves, and comparative measurements on the 

 same variety of cotton grown in Arizona showed no more 

 unfavourable reduction of leaf water than in Alabama, when 

 'there was sufficient water in the soil. 



THE PROBLEM OF PLANTATION PARA. 



There ."eenis to be a growing conviction that the best 

 way to deal with the coming struggle between plantation 

 Hevea and the Brazilian product will be by instituting 

 a central organization for the i)urpr)se of conducting co-oper- 

 ative sales In the India Rn'i/ii;r Journal for September 1 3, 

 1913, E. G. Windle suggests that a useful purpose would be 

 served by engaging experienced trade travellers in planta- 

 tion Paia, who would be sent round the country to all 

 rubber manufacturers, not necessarily in England only. The 

 central organization, it is suggested, should publish their 

 own journal, and every effort should be taken to demonstrate 

 the capabilities, and push the use of plantation Para. 



In the same issue of the journal referred to above, 

 a correspondent outlines in some detail the objects of the 

 suggested organization. It would conduct and regulate 

 sales and, when necessary, restrict output. The organization 

 would further secure uniformity of delivery to manufacturers 

 and promote trade in geneial. It is suggested that all the 

 plantation companies should be invited to join a general 

 council. Each company's representative would have one 

 vote for every 100 acres planted. The actual selling would 

 be fixed by a Court of Directors appointed by the Council. 

 This Court of Directors, at any time, by a three-fourths 

 majority would be allowed to bring forward a resolution to 

 the General Council for restriction of output. 



INITIAL STEP TAKEN BY PLANTATION COMPANY. 



The India Ruhher ./ouninl for September 20 supports 

 in a general way the above suggestion, and, what is even 

 more important, states that the Malacca Companj-, one of 

 the largest plantation rubber concerns, has notified its 

 shareholders that the company will be prepared to dispose 

 of its entire output of rubber for the next five years through 

 a central selling agency. 



In the same issue, Mr. A. A. Bauman calls attention to 

 the fact, that if any central .selling association is ever formed, 

 it is essential that it should be managed by those who 

 understand the international market. The same writer 

 brings forward two methods of combined action. The one 

 adhered to by the P.ritish Aluminium Producers is 

 recommended for adoption in the selling of plantation Para. 

 According to this method, a Committee of Management is 

 appointed by the companies, and they fix the price of the 

 product from time to time. All the producers bind 

 themselves not to sell under that price — a 15-per cent, 

 margin is allowed for the play of trade, and their books 

 are periodically inspected. It is said that this form of com- 

 bined action enibled the British Aluminium Producers to 

 raise the price of the metal from £15 to £50. 



PESSIMISTIC VIEWS. 



In conclusion, it may be added that in some quarters the 

 present position of plantation Para seems to have been 

 regarded somewhat pessimistically, more so than is justified. 

 One hopeful feature of the position is that the present low 

 prices may stimulate manufacturers to buy in great quantity, 

 and to extend their operating plants and thereby make 

 room for the increased output in the near future; and another 

 is that in a few years' time, plantation Para will cease 

 probably to feel any competition from the African sources 

 of supply. 



