38 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



February 6, 1909. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholme & HuIIuikK oI Livri pool, 

 ■write as follows, under date of January IS, wiih ri fer- 

 •ence to the sales of West Indian Sea Island eoiton : — 



Since our last report about 100 bales of We.st Lidian 

 Sea Islands have been sold, consisting of about 50 Barbado.s 

 at lUd. to lid., 20 St. Kitt's at l:5.',</., and 2-5 St. Vincent 

 -at lild. to lod. 



Holders of American Sea Islands have been reducing 

 their prices and selling very freely of late, fearing competi- 

 tion with the West Indian, and a consideraMe number of 

 <:rop lots have been sold at \2id. to 13hd. In consequence, 

 buyers are basing their offers on these purclmses, and having 

 supplied their innnediate wants for some time, it has i)laced 

 them in a very independent position. We are of the opinion, 

 however, that prices will not go any lower, and it will be 

 A wise policy for West Indian holders not to force sales. 



COTTON IN THE SEA ISLANDS. 



The market )>rices for cotton from the Sea Islands 

 still remain very low as ooni|]ared with those whit-h 

 prevailed a year ago. The demand, however, is stated 

 to be good, and it is possible that prices may imjjrove 

 somewhat. In their Sea Island cotron re[)ort, dated 

 January 9 last, Messrs. Heiny W. Fiost & Co., of 

 Charleston write : — 



There was an active demand throughout the week, 

 TBSulting in the sale of a total of 1,900 bales of cotton from 

 Charleston, and 3,14i bales from Savannah. [These .sales of 

 course include cotton of coarser grade from Florida and 

 Georgia, as well as the finer quality lint from Carolina.] 

 The prevailing prices for Islands cotton are as follows : 

 -* extra fine ' quality, 13f/. per lb.; ' fully fine,' 12|rt'. to 12i(/.; 

 'fine', ll\d ■. tinged cotton, OJr?.; and stains, 7\d. tn't^'d. 

 per lb. The Vmying was general for England, France, and the 

 Northern milks. As the entire stock of odd bags has been 

 sold, we are now dependent on future rceeiiits for graded 

 «otton. No sales of ' planters crops ' cotton have been made, 

 ance factors are unwilling to accept current jirices. 



The total amount of .\nierican Sea Island cotton ginned 

 up to .January 1 of the present year has been 86,016 bales, 

 AS compared with 73,42-5 bales ginned to same date last year. 

 The jiresent year's crop (American) is estimated at 100,000 

 bales. 



On January 1(3, Messrs. Frost write: — 



There has again been an active demand throughout the 

 veek for all the offerings of odd bags of all grades, and also 

 for all the crop lots of ' fully fine " quality, which could be 



purchased up to 13d, leaving the market swejit of all offer- 

 ings e-vcepting crop lots held at 13J,(/. an 1 upwards. In view 

 of reduced stock, factors are now disposed to hold these with 

 m )re confidence, as the receipts from now on are e.\[)ected to 

 be small. 



COTTON INDUSTRY IN THE VIRGIN 

 ISLANDS. 



Cotton cultivation has proved an excellent source 

 of prosperity in the Virgin l.sland.s, and its development 

 since 1906, despite the low priced obtained for the lint, 

 has been innalkable. 



In 190.'3-i the exports of cotton from those islands 

 were va.ued at no more than £.'!.5. Two years later they 

 were worth A 26."). For the )ear 1906-7, the shipments 

 amounted 10,177 lb. of lint, valued at £620; while for the 

 year ended March 31. 1906, they reached no le.ss than 

 32,-500 It), of '.int, worth about £1,800. 



Cotton seed ha§ been distributed free of charge by the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture, the amount given out 

 in 1907 being 2..300 ttj. Small holders of land form the 

 main class in the Virgin Island.s, and it is chiefly by these 

 people that cotton is grown The seed-cotton is also purchased 

 an 1 dealt with by the Dep.irtnunit of .\griculture, and notinw 

 the amount of the shipments in 1907-8 (32,.")00 tt).), it will be 

 seen that 13 lb. of lint were received at the factory connected 

 with the Experiment Station, Tortola, for every 1 lb. of cotton 

 seed distributed. 



The advances made to small growers under the ' Cotton 

 Loans Act ' have been of great assistance, and have undoubt- 

 edly proved one of the chief means of developing the industry. 

 In 1907-8, loans w6re made to twenty--se\en growers, the 

 total amount advanced being £102 12.<. 0'/ The whole of 

 this was re|)aid at the end of the .season. Leaf blister-mite 

 has, so far, proved the most serious [jest of cotton in the 

 Virgin Islands: the cotton worm has been responsible for 

 comparatively little damage, but cotton stainers have been 

 troulilesome in some_ cases. 



In his report for the months of November and Decem- 

 ber last, Mr. W. C. Fishhxk, Agricultural Instructor for the 

 Virgin Islands, refers to the position of the cotton industry 

 in the islands under his charge during the j)re.sent season 

 (1908-9). It is satisfactory to note that the [irogress of jiast 

 years has been continuous, and there is no sign of falling off in 

 the development of the indu.stry. The increase again shown in 

 the exports is remarkably good. From the beginning of the 

 cott<m picking sea.son up to December 31, 1908, there was 

 I)urcha.sed at the Experiment Station, Tortola, 74,989 lb. of 

 cotton, valued at £777 ll.<. S(/., as against 16.738 It), of 

 cotton, worth £241 12.s-. 2(1., which was purchased to the 

 same date in 1907. In other words, the amount of cotton 



