372 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



XOVEMBEE 21, 1914. 



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COTTON. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



The report of 3Iessrs. Henry W. Frost & C<j.. on 

 Sea Island cotton in the Sovithern States, for the week 

 ending October 24, is as follows: — 



The receipts for the week were 67 bales, making the 

 total to date of new crop cotton 22S hales, against 722 bales 

 last year. The Factors have sampled the cotton and are di.s- 

 posed to sell, provided they can do so on a basis of Fully 

 Fine 23c., Extra Fine 26e. The i|uality of the crop is better 

 than last year, and with orders in hand we can .sectire very 

 .satisfactory cjuality, and possibly at .some concession from 

 the above prices. For this crop, estimates range around 

 7,000 bales. 



PROPOSED VISIT OF COTTON EXPERT 



TO THE WEST INDIES. 



The following letter, which has been received by 

 the C(5mmissioner of Agriculture from Mr. H. A. Dixon, 

 the Managing Director of the Fine Cotton Spinners" 

 and Donblers' Association, Ltd., is reproduced here- 

 with for general information: — 



The greatest part of the crop of Sea Island cotton grown 

 in the British West Indies is consumed in our mills. 



It lias for some time been our desire to put ourselves 

 into closer touch with tho.se who, are concerned with the 

 scientific breeding of cottons, and also with those who 

 actuallj- grow them, and it happens that the opportunitj' has 

 occurred at the present time of our securing the .services of 

 a gentleman who is exceptionally equippetl for making a visit 

 on our behalf to the islands where the cotton in question is 

 grown. This gentleman is Mr. J. L. Fonda, who for many 

 years has lived in one of the principal centres of Sea Island 

 cotton growing in Florida, U.S.A., and whose business it has 

 been to buy cotton there for us. Mr. I'onda has also had 

 occasion to give a good deal of attention to the best systems 

 of improving the cotton both in quantity and quality. 



In visiting the West Indies ilr. Fonda's instructions are 

 to furnish us with all the information he can collect as to the 

 prospects of Sea Island cotton growing. ^Ve have also asked 

 him to make particular enquiries as to any matters in which 

 it might be possible fpr us to co-operate with the Government 

 and with the planters in order to make the industry more 

 satisfactory both to them and to ourselves. 



Mr. Fonda sails from America early in November, and 

 will keep you advised of the prolialilo date of his visit to 

 you. 



We beg to solicit your kindly eo-operation to make his 

 visit as mutually beneficial as j)ossible. 



We had made our arrangement with Mr. Fonda before 

 the outbreak, of the present war, but we do not sec any rea.son 

 why the war should interfere witli it or cause the delay of 

 a year in making it. 



INDIAN CORN. 



AS TO CORN. 



The fulliiwing article entitled As To Corn, is taken 

 from Modern Farming for .September 2.5 last. The 

 advice given therein is applicable to West Indian condi- 

 tions to such an extent that it i.-< reproduced, as being of 

 interest .and value to readers of the Agricultural 

 Neius: — 



In 1913 Louisiana produced 41,800,000 bushels .)f corn, 

 an average of 22 bushels per acre. The average for tliat 

 year is the highest of any State south of the Ohiri Itiver, 

 with the e.xception of Texas, and not counting Missouri, 

 which usually makes about 30 bushels per acre. 



The States in the corn belt produce from 3.5 to 40 

 bushels per acre and more on many acres. The query 

 presents itself therefore, whj' is not Louisiana's yield higher? 

 The following reasons, which apply with slight modification 

 to the othei' Southern 8tates, are given as some of the most 

 logical ones: — 



First: Three one-crop systems — cotton, cane and rice. 



The f)oll weevil and the tarilf have made it necessary to 

 think of other crops, however, so henceforth the one-crop 

 systems do not enter into our agriculture as formerly. Let 

 us get away from the single-crop idea as soon as possible. 



Second: Corn has usually been planted on land that has 

 been cropped for several consecutive j'ears in cotton, cane 

 or rice. 



Third: Seed bed for corn has not been sufKciently well 

 prepared because of lack of time from the other crops. 



Fourth: Turning ploughs have been used for cultivating, 

 making shallow work impossible. 



Fifth: Cultivation has not been frequent enough. 



Sixth: The seed planted has not been selected, but too 

 fre<juently shovelled out of the crib at time of planting. 



Seventh: Too jnuch seed has been imported from the 

 Northern States. 



Eighth: Not sutficient attention has been given to the 

 u.se of fertilizers. 



Good seed is probably more than one-half the cause of 

 making high yields, because upon it depends the per cent, 

 of stand obtained, and on. that depends the amount of corn 

 per acre. 



By good seed is meant that which jjossesses first class 

 germinating qualities, the characters desired for propagation, 

 and selected from high'j'ielding strains. It even stands for 

 acclimatization and soil adaptation. 



It is regrettable, btit true, that in Louisiana (and prob- 

 ably similar conditions so far still prevail in most of ■ the 

 other Southern States) there are but very few jjlaces where 

 good seed corn can be obtained. The reason is that we are 

 only beginni)ig to breed corn, as we do live stock. This 

 condition needs to be .remedied, for good seed corn, that is, 

 properly bred, ought to lie for sale on some farm in every 

 community. 



Not having the corn-breeding industry yet developed in 

 many communities, thenext best thing is for each farmer to 

 save his own seed corn, which all can do, even though all 

 will not be aljle to do ear-to-row lireeding. Seed ought to 

 be field selected, and there is nothing that will pay as well; 

 hence begin this seasou. to get your seed corn from the field, 

 and in this way helj) to raise more corn. 



The following points are well to rcmeniViei' when doing 

 this work: — 



Select till' I'orn only wlicn tlie crop is tlioroiiglily niatnri' 



