150 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



May U, 1910. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholtne and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date April 25, with reference 

 to the.sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



West Indian Sea Islands have been in moderate request 

 at steady rates, and the business includes Barbados 17d. to 

 22|rf., Nevis 20c?. to 22ic/., St. Vincent 21|rf. to 2.3c?., 

 Antigua 21c?., St. Kitts 205. to 2!c?., and Montserrat 20ic?. 



The recent decline in Egyptian cotton may probably 

 adversely affect the piice of Stains and the lower qualities of 

 West Indian generally, but not the medium and better sorts. 



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

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending Apiil IC, is as follows: — • 



There has been only a moderate demand below the views 

 of the factors, therefore the market remains quiet, with 

 the unsold stock as last reported, consisting principally of 

 Planters' crop lots held at 40c., .50c., and fiOc. 



to lint percentage, but to all other qualities, such as prolific- 

 ness, length, strength and quality of lint. The lint percentage 

 in the Egyptian cottons examined is slightly higher than in 

 Nyasaland Upland, and the highest percentage for Egyptian 

 was a sample of native grown cotton from the Port Herald 

 district, which gave 34-60 per cent. (Leaflet No. 4 of the 

 Agricultural and Forestry Department, Nya.saland Pro- 

 tectorate.) 



VARIETIES OF COTTON CULTIVATED IN 

 NYASALAND. 



It has been found from experience that Egyptian 

 varieties are unsuitable for elevations over 2,-500 feet, and 

 therefore this kind of cotton, which at the advent of cotton 

 cultivation in the Protectorate was widely spread, is now 

 practically confined to the estates of the lower and upper 

 river, and the more favoured districts bordering Lake Nyasa. 

 Nyasaland Upland is the most extensively cultivated 

 ■cotton, and may be described as a long staple Hirsutum 

 cotton, similar to the long staple varieties grown in the 

 Mississippi valley. Experiments have been made vrith Kidney, 

 Brazilian and Caravonica cottons, with indifferent results, and 

 trials are being conducted with Allen's long staple and Griffin. 

 The latter two varieties show a great tendency to form sports, 

 but systematic selection is being carried out; it is hoped to 

 develop fixed types of those two high quality cottons. 



Selection is very necessary to improve the yield and lint 

 percentage; the Upland cotton now averages 27 per cent., 

 although individual plants selected by the writer give lint 

 percentages as high as .38, showing the possibility of profit- 

 able work in this direction. It means much to the grower 

 when every hundred pounds of seed cotton picked yields the 

 higher instead of the lower figure. Selection applies not only 



Cotton-Growing in Siam. 



The Briti.sh A'ice-Con.sul at Bangkok reports that the 

 amount of cotton now grown in Siam is very small, but that 

 at one time it was probably considerable. Cotton is still i)ro- 

 duced in many places on the edge of, and outside, the central 

 plains, but this is a mere remnant of the industry, which must 

 have once supplied the population with most of its clothing. 



Gossi/piuiii herhaceitrii in some variety is grown, and 

 several other species have been noted, especially one grown in 

 small quantities in the south, the produce of which is used 

 only in connexion with Mohammedan burial; this last is 

 probably of Persian or Egyptian origin. Nearly 10,000 piculs 

 (about 12,000 cwt.) of cotton were exported to Hong Kong in 

 1908-9, but this was probably tree cotton, and it is not likely 

 that any annual cotton is exported, except a little overland. 



In 1905-G some experiments in cotton-growing were 

 begun at Pharapatom, cotton .seed from Chiengmai, Korat and 

 other places, as well as local seed, being used. The greater 

 part of the seed was^ bad, but the Korat and local seed germ- 

 inated and grew. The experiment was carried far enough 

 to show that the staple was poor, and that the bolls were 

 peculiarly liable to attacks from weevils, beetles and other 

 insect pests. It is probable, however, that cotton could be 

 successfully grown in those parts of the country which combine 

 a rich, light soil with dry weather. (The lioaril of Trade 

 Jnnrnal, January 2^7, 1910.) 



Cotton and Climate. — The following information in 

 connexion with the effect of climate on cotton appears in the 

 Report iiftlu'Agriadtvnil Bcsmrchlnsfitiite iind Colled/I', Pusa, 

 1907-9: — During April and ^lay, 1907, an extensive enquiry 

 was made regarding the varieties of cotton and the conditions 

 under which the cotton crop is grown in (lujerat and Kathia- 

 war. In Surat and Broach districts, the quality of the cotton 

 is best in the south, and gradually gets worse as one proceeds 

 northwards. Navasari has the finest and longest staple, then 

 comes Surat, and then Broach. This may be due to the 

 heavier rainfall and- greater atmospheric humidity at Navasari 

 (owing to its proximity to the sea), for there is little apparent 

 difference in the soil. 



