THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Febkuaey 28, 1914. 



COTTON. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholme and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 ■R-rite as follows, under date February 9, with reference 

 to the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton:— 



A good business has been done in West Indian Sea 

 Island cotton since our last report. The sales amount to 

 about 350 bales and include St. Kitts and Xevis ITc^. to 

 20rf., with a few superior lots 2ld. to 22H, Montserrat 16^d. 

 to ISd., with a few bags at 19d., Barbados 17W. to 18fd 

 and St. Vincent, 20cZ. to 22d. 



The demand entirely runs on the better quahties, the 

 medium and lower grades beicg very unsaleable owing to the 

 low prices at which Carolina Sea Island cotton is offering. 



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

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending January 81 , is as follows: — 



There is still a demand in the market for the odd bags 

 of Extra Fine at 26c. and Extra Fine off in colour at 23c., 

 Lut sales are restricted by the very small offerings as there 

 is little remaining of these grades unmarketed. 



Of the lower grades, say Fine and Fully Fine, there is 

 still' left in stock unsold about 200 bales to 300 bales, which 

 Tactors are holding at 2c. to 3c. advance. 



There have been no further sales of crop lots, of which 

 there are remaining in stock about 500 bales to 600 bales 

 classing chiefly Fine and held at 23c. to 24c. 



We quote, viz: — 



Extra Fine 26c. 



Extra Fine off^) g^e 

 in preparation/ 



Fully Fine 23c. 



Fine 20c. 



Fine A: Fully Fine"! 20c. 

 off in preparation/ 



Stains 17c. 



Harmattan winds, but the bulk of the cotton is grown on 

 forest land, and the early Harmattan winds, unless they are 

 very continuous, have very little effect on the cotton grown in 

 the forest areas, as the soil retains its moisture better than on 

 the grass land.s. 



A statement was submitted showing the amount of 

 cotton purchased in Lagos and Northern Nigeria during the 

 last four years, as follows: — 



Cotton purchases in bales of 400 tti. each. 



1910. 1911. 1912. 1913. Total. 



= 14|i. 



= ISJrf. 



= 13Jd 

 = llfd. 



= ir^d. 



= 10c?. 



c.i.f., it 5 per cent. 



This report shows that the total exports of Sea 

 Island cotton from the United States to Liverpool, 

 Manchester and Havre, up to January 31, 1914, were 

 3,100 bales, G,095 bales, and 3,769 bales, respectively. 



Lagos 5,626 5,408 9,146 13,694 33,874 



Northern Nigeria 179 2.627 1,610 4,416 



.5,626 5,587 11,773 15,304, 38,290 



NY-\s ALAND. The native cotton crop during the past 

 season has been the largest the Protectorate has yet pro- 

 duced, and it is probable that the total crop will e.xceed 

 1,000 tons of seed-cotton, as against 130 tons four years 

 ago. The cotton has all been carefully graded under the 

 Government system, and the Government cotton markets, 

 which have been established in different centreSj have 

 proved a very great success. 



The Association has purchased considerable quantities 

 both of native cotton and cotton grown by European planters, 

 which has entailed a large lock up of capital, as it has been, 

 impossible to transport the cotton for some months owing to 

 the shallowness of the Shire River. The transport facilities 

 will, however, be considerably improved on the completion of 

 the railway from Port Herald to the Zambesi early next year. 



FINANCE. It was reported that since the last meeting 

 of the Council new capital had been subscribed amounting to 

 £330, bringing the total capital subscribed to date to 

 £470,500. The authorized capital of the Association is 

 £500,000, and it is hoped that the efforts which are being 

 made to raise the outstanding balance of £29,51^*0 will soon 

 be successful. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



Mr. H. A. iJallou, ^l.Sc, returned to Jjarbados on 

 February 13, 1914, by the S.S. 'Briardene', from Mont- 

 serrat, after conducting investigations in that^ island 

 in connexion with insect pests of citrus jilants. 



British Cotton Growing Association.— The 

 one hundred and twentieth meeting of the Council of the 

 British Cotton Growing Association was held at the Offices, 

 15 Cross Street, Manchester, on Tuesday, the 3rd February, 

 1914. The President (The Itight Hon. the Earl of Derbj', 

 G.C.V.O.) was in the Chair. 



WEST AFEICA. The Association's Manager reports that 

 the crop this year will be considerably larger than that of 

 any previous year, and in the Lagos Province alone it is 

 probable that the crop will exceed 16,000 bales. The 

 present ginning capacity which the Association have in 

 Lacos will be quite inadequate to deal with such a large 

 crop, and for this year an electric light installation has been 

 .sent out, so that work can be carried on at night in case of 

 need. Arrangements are being made for a new ginniiig 

 plant to be sent out in time for the 1915 season. A certain 

 amount of damage has been done to the crop by the 



At the third annual general meeting of the St. Vincent 

 Arrowroot Growers' and Exporters' Association held late in 

 .January, the 1913 committee was reelected and the 

 Association recorded its high appreciation of their sevices. 

 The attendance at this meeting afforded an illustration of the 

 strength of the Association showing a representation of the 

 ownership of about three-fourths of the cultivable land of the 

 colony and a similar proportion of the arrowroot cultivation. 

 (The St. Alncent Sentry, January 30, 1914.) 



Particulars have just been received concerning a recent 

 work on the cultivation of the oil palm, published by Crosby, 

 Lockwcod it Son, London. The author is Mr. F. M. 

 Milligan, F.lt.G.S., plantation expert in the Congolese 

 section of the French West African colony and the Gold 

 Coast. Amongst many other matters, the formation of 

 a palm oil plantation is described. 



