'2-^ 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Januaky 2."., 1909. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenhulint; & Holland, cf Liverpool, 

 ■writing under dite of January 4 last, report, as follows 

 •on the sales of West Indian Sea Island poMon ■: — 



West Indian Sea Island cotton has been neizlectrd .since 

 •our la.st report, only 1.5 bak-s from St. Kitt's having been 

 sold, at 14'?. per it). 



The pressure to sell Carolina Sea Islands still continues, 

 and to-day's quotations are : 1 1 |rf. per ft. for ' fine ' iiuality, 

 12frf. for 'fully fine,' and I'ild. for ' e.vlra fine,' but buyers 

 are not disposed to purchase. In the meanwhile there are 

 several thousand bales in Charleston. 



training at licinio to spend two or three years in studying ♦he 

 <-ultivatioii of cotton and other tropical products in the West 

 Indies, CIcyloii, or Egyiit. 



COTTON GROWING IN UGANDA. 



a(.;eicultural instructor wanted. 



In connexion with the developing cotton-growing 

 industry of Uganda, the services of a junior Agricnltnral 

 Instructor are now required in the Protectorate. The 

 engagement is to be for three years with pas.-age 

 paid both ways, and the salary attached to the appoint- 

 ment is from £2.50 to £300 per annum, depending on 

 age and qualifications. A good knowledge of, and 

 practical experience in cotton growing is essential. 

 A[iplications to be sent to tht' Imperial Commissioner 

 of Agriculture, Barbados. 



According to the report (jf the ih-ili.sh Cotton-growing 

 Association for l'.i07, the pro.spects of the cotton industry in 

 Uganda are most promising. While in lOOOthc shipments 

 of lint were 800 bales of 400 th. each, in 1 '.)()7 no less than 

 5,000 bales were exported. 



The cotton grown in Uganda consists of 1 'phind varieties, 

 and the better grades are worth ■_'</. per lb. o\er ' middling ' 

 American lint. 



The following is quoted from the Ainiii'il lirjini 

 referred to : — 



Unfortunately there has been tio expert to supeiintend 

 and advi.se on the work, and a large iiro;iortion of the 

 Uganda cotton is mosf inferior. Several varieties of .seed 

 have been given out indiscriminately, with the residt that the 

 cotton is much nii.\ed. A great deal of tiie lint is also badly 

 stained, which is probably (lue to careless cultivation. 



In this connexion it should be noted that it is extremely 

 difficult to find agricidtural experts with the necessary 

 scientific training, and sufficieiit knowledge of cotton to ilirect 

 and control tiie establishment of the ipdustry in a new 

 country. The Council of the Assiu'iation have strongly urged 

 the Government to inaugurate Agricultural Scholarships, to 

 enable young men who have ha(| a practicid :uul sclentilic 



ANTIGUA SUGAR AND COTTON 

 LIVERPOOL. 



IN 



Reports on the samples of sugar and cotton fr^'Ui 

 Antigua that were sent to the late Coloui.il Products 

 Exhibition ai. Liverpool were published in the West 

 India Committee Circutar of December 22 last. 

 Messrs. Bushby, fSon & Beazley, of Liverpool, to whom 

 the Antigua sugar exbibius were subiniti<d, uiote ;i.s 

 follows ■ — 



The sugars are excellent in ipiality and eminently .suit- 

 alile for manufacture, refining, or direct consum[)tion, accord- 

 ing to grade. Taking the .samples according to number, the 

 muscova<lo sug.u" from various estates range fr-oni dark to 

 light brown, evidently of good strength, and would be used 

 cliieriy liy retniers, who would more |)articularly nionojiolize 

 the darker shades, the light colour qDalities finding their 

 wny to the Baltic, where there is often a ready sale for 

 moderate quantities Samples Xos. 9 to 1-5, good, brown, 

 refining centrifugals, ranging through several shades, and 

 from various factories, are carefully made, and would find 

 a ready market in any quantity, and at all times with our 

 refiners Sam|iles l(i to 18 are grey-white crystals, which in 

 their pro.sent state might be expected to go directly into con- 

 sumption through the grocers : and the same remarks apply 

 in a .still greater degree to Nos. !9, "Ml, and ".'1, .since .sugars 

 of such liright complexion meet with a very ready market 

 and good prices from groc rs here. The samples of molasses 

 are of good quality, and useful foi- feeding and distilling 

 |)urposes. 



Messrs. Wolsieuholiue Xl Holland, of Liverpool, 

 report on the Aiiiigua cotton as fnllow.s; — 



We have carefiUly examined sam|>les of Antigua exhibit. 

 No. iJG — seed — is .sfiund, and worth £6 15,s. to £,' per ton. 

 Samples -'iL', .5:1, and -54 — ginned cotton — are all rather soft 

 an<l slightly stained, value I3(/ to 13i(/., .sample 53 being 

 the best, and worth the latter price. No. 5.3 —seed-cotton — 

 is rather stained, but fair staiile, value about V-Sd. when 

 uinned .\ll these cottons are rather too .soft in stajile, and 

 not equal lo previou.s crops from Antigua. We should 

 reconiuiend planting a seed from another island, prodi'.cing 

 a more robust fibre, for there is no doubt that the .Antigua 

 crop has sutl'ered either from bad weather or insect pests 

 during last season, and we are ratlau' afraid that the seecl, 

 though ipiite honnd from a crushing point of view, may have 

 sutferi'd with the lint. 



