102 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



ArniL 2, 1910. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 

 Messrs. Wolstenholine and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date IMarch 14, with reference 

 to the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



Since our last report, a good business has been done in 

 West Indian Sea Island cotton, and about 800 bags have 

 been sold at about \d. per Itj. advance. 



The sales incktde St. Vincent 19rf. to 23hd., St. Lucia 

 19f/., St. Kitts \Sd. to 201, St. Croix 18d. to'20J'f., Nevis 

 19d!. to 20'i., Montserrat 17rf. to 19f?., Barbados 18c?. to 'lid., 

 and Anguilla 19(7. to 20^(7. 



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

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending March 11, is as follows: — 



There continues a good demand for the planters' crop 

 lots, resulting in sales of about 250 bales at 40c. to 50c., the 

 buying being for export. The unsold stock now is reduced 

 to about 500 to 600 bales, consisting very largely of planters' 

 crop lots held at 45c. to 50c., and for which there is a demand, 

 but at prices somewhat below the views of the factors. How- 

 ever, the present outloc^k is that the entire unsold stock will 

 be disposed of very soon. 



BRITISH COTTON-GROWING. 



The following information was given, at a recent 

 general meeting of the British Cotton Growing 

 Association, in regard to cotton-growing in the British 

 Empire : — 



WEST AFRic.\. The purchases of cotton in Lagos for 

 the ynar 1909 amount to 12,065 bale.s, as compared with 

 5,410 bales for 1908, and 8,456 bales fo>- 1907. The quality 

 of the cotton has greatly improved, and there has recently 

 been a brisk demand for West African cotton, and all last 

 year's crop has now been disposed of. The new crop, which 

 should ccimmence to come in about the middle of .January, 

 is apparently late this year, but the first shi[)ments are 

 expected to reach Liverpool early in ^Marcli. 



UGANDA. Arrangements are being made by which 

 seed-cotton is to be selected by the Superintendent of 

 Agriculture at the ginneries, and ginned .separately, and the 

 seed so selected to be returned to the Cotton Department for 

 planting purposes. It i-i pointed out that, owing to the 

 changeable cnmate in I'ganda, and the fact that many 

 producers are still most ignorant of the proper methods '>f 



jncking and handling cotton, it is impossible to prevent 

 a certain amount of inferior cotton coming into market, 

 but it w-ou'd be unwise to prohibit the sale of seed-cotton, 

 which has probably been brought from a considerable 

 distance, and represents the best which the native is at 

 present capable of growing. The Government officials are 

 of opinion that it will be at least two years before the 

 results of the present efforts will show in the quality of the 

 cotton. It was considered that a great deal of credit was 

 due to the Agricultural Department for the efforts now 

 being made to improve the quality of the cotton. 



NYAssALASD. Letters were read from various planters 

 stating that the results during the past season have been most 

 satisfactory, and very good prices are being realized for the 

 cotton. The lack of adequate ocean transport facilities has 

 been a great drawback to the development of the cotton-grow- 

 ing industry, both in Nyassaland and in Uganda, and great 

 satisfaction was expressed that arrangements have now 

 been made for the Union Castle Line of steamers to run 

 a monthly service round the Cape to Mombassa, serving all 

 the East African ports on the waj'. This service should be 

 a very great help in assisting the development of cotton 

 growing. 



RHOOEsiA. It was reported that, in co-operation with the 

 British South Africa Company, the Association has sent out 

 an Agricultural Expert to Northern llhodesia, to ascertain the 

 possibilities of the country for cotton growing. 



The President mentioned that the Chairman of the 

 British South Africa Company was most favourably inclined 

 towards cotton cultivation in Rhodesia, and was in that 

 cou7itry at the present time on a visit of inspection, and was 

 going to make emjuiries on the spot as to the possibilities of 

 a large and immediate development of cotton-growing there. 



THE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION 

 OF COTTON. 



At a recent meeting of the shareholders of the Man- 

 chester Ship Canal Conqiany, the Chairman (Mr. Bythell) 

 gave .^ome interesting figures as to the world's production 

 of cotton and its requirements. The immense expansion 

 of the area under cotton cultivation in the United States 

 during the last forty years is not generally recognized. 

 In 1874-5, there was a crop of 3,83.3,000 bales, and the 

 average price of the standard quality of middling American 

 at Liverpool was 7'67d. Ten years later, the season's crop 

 was 5,669,000 bales, and the price 5'76(7 , — an increase in 

 production of 47'9 per cent., and a decrease in price of 24-9 

 per cent. Ten years later again, the crop was 9,893,000 bales, 



