262 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



August 20, 1910. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON 



Messrs. Wolstenholine and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date July 28, with reference to 

 the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



Since our last report, about 150 bags of West Indian 

 Sea Island cotton have been sold, at rather easier prices. 

 They are chiefly comprised ot small lots from various islands, 

 and the prices lealized range from 19c?. to 21rf. 



Spinners are not inclined to buy until more is know^n 

 of the condition of the growing crop in America, and the 

 remainder of the stock here is rather unsaleable at the 

 moment, in consequeiic,e. 



the extraordinary prosperity of the other agricultural indus- 

 tries of the island has tended to push any new crop out of 

 consideration. 



COTTON-GROWING IN CKYLON. 



The following information concerning the state of 

 cotton cultivation in Ceylon is taken from the Report 

 of the Ceylon Agricultural Society, 1903-10:— 



The prospects of cotton cultivation may be said to have 

 somewhat improved. Trials in different parts of the i.sland 

 — Chilaw, Hambantota, 'Madugoda, etc. — tend to show that 

 Sea Island cotton, if grown at the right season and caltivated 

 in the proper way, can be successfully raised, and produces 

 a lint which is infinitely superior to that of any local variety. 

 Profe.ssor Dunston, who, while in Ceylon last March, evinced 

 gi-eat interest in the pos.'^ibilities of cotton cultivation, was 

 inclined to think that an improved Upland variety, such as 

 'Black Rattler', should suit local conditions better than any 

 other. Acting on this advice, the Society has, with the 

 help of the British Cotton-Growing Association, secured 

 a consignment of this seed. 



The occurrence of areas that refuse to grow any of the 

 crops successfully raised in other parts of the island, the 

 opening up of large acreages in cocoa-nuts in the dry districts, 

 the depression in the tobacco trade as a result of the enhanced 

 duty on tobacco imported into India, the existence (though 

 to a limited extent) of a spinning and weaving industry, the 

 probability of a reliable local agency being shortly established 

 to act as a medium between the grower and the market, and 

 lastly, the pos.sibility of succe.ssfully growing cotton in suit- 

 able areas, are all circumstances 'sAich favour this cultivation. 



The laudable efforts of the British Cotton-Growing 

 Association to encourage cultivators have, so far, not been 

 attended with the success they deserved. Had an old 

 established and well-known firm been chosen as the local 

 agents of the Association in the first instance, considerable 

 progress ought by now to have been made. The temporary 

 suspension of ginning ojierations, and the want of an agency 

 to handle the produce, have acted as a serious set-back, while 



AGRICULTURE IN THE ST. VINCENT 



SOUTHERN GRENADINES AND 



CARRIACOU. 



The agricultural conditions in the St. Vincent Southern 

 Grenadines, namely Canouan, Mayreau and Union Island, 

 and in Carriacou are described in a report which has been 

 made recently by Mr. W. N. Sands, Agricultural Super- 

 intendent of St. Vincent, and this has been made use of in 

 supplying the following information. In describing these 

 conditions, the islands will be taken in the order mentioned. 



CANOUAN. This island is situated about 2.5 miles south 

 of St. Vincent, and is believed to have an area of about 1,700 

 acres. The soil is fairly fertile and easily worked, and in 

 seasons of average rainfall a reasonable yield can be obtained 

 from it. If there is sufficient rain, planting begins in May; 

 but it is sometimes necessary to postpone it until July or 

 August. . , )i 



The chief crops grown are cotton, Indian corn and' 

 pigeon peas; there is a small stock-raising industry and 

 a whaling station. For sowing purposes the land is simply 

 scraped over and holes are chopped in it with a hoe. Manure 

 is not used, and as cotton is grown as a perennial, often for 

 many years at a stretch, new seed is only required for sup- 

 plies or for planting new land. The cotton is grown at 4-foot 

 distances, in the row and between the rows. Corn forms 

 intermediate rows, and peas are planted in about every sixth 

 and around the boundaries of the field. There is great neglect 

 in the matter of thinning the plants, in most cases, and weed- 

 ing is only done w^ieii it is thought to be necessary. After 

 the harvest, for the succeeding croj), the old cotton plants are 

 cut back to form stalks about 1 foot high. The only 

 method employed for assisting in the restoration of the fertil- 

 ity of the land is t9 allow it to remain as pasture-fallow. This 

 description of the system of cultivation applies to all the 

 other islands mentioned. 



The type of cotton grown is, as is well known, the 

 Marie Galante. The plant producing it is a hardy perennial and 

 gives a coarse lint of quality between that of Upland and of 

 Egyptian, the percentage of lint to seed-cotton being twenty- 

 four, and the seed produced being perfectly clean and black. 

 The output last season, from 218 acres, was 10,660 lb. of lint 

 — a yield of 48 lb. per acre. Another type of plant which 

 gives a product called 'silk' cotton is occasionally grown, but 

 not to any extent. 



Most of the cotton is produced on the metayer system. 

 During the past season it was sold to the Goveinment 



