Vol. XV. No. .3(3 1. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



These results .show the suriou.s falliug off in the 1st crop 

 from plot 2 owing to the decline in the rainfall in August, 

 and this applieil generally to the May planted cotton in this 

 year on the leeward side of the island. 



The secend crop also being influenced by the later 

 di.stribution of the rainfall, was evidently more equally 

 suitable for both plots, judging from the results, though some 

 allowance must be made for some loss of cotton from injury 

 by cotton stainers in the case of plot l'. 



The results also show the very considerable importance 

 in this season of the second crop of cotton, which though of 

 a lower grade as regards quality, and of less value, may in 

 .some seasons mean the difference between profit and loss. 



With regard to plot 1, the first crop had been picked at 

 the end of October and the bulk of the second crop in 

 December, while from plot 2, most of the second picking was 

 obtained in January. Another point of interest is that the 

 second crop of plot 1 suifered very little injury from cotton 

 stainers, while their great increase in number towards the 

 close of the year resulted in very considerable injury to the 

 bolls of the second crop of plot 2. 



It may not be considered out of place here to make 

 a few remarks on the question of date of islanting. l/ntil 

 about eight years ago the bulk of the crop Jlontserrat was 

 planted in June and Jul}', but there has been a gradual 

 change to earlier planting, and most of the area is now 

 planted in April. The planting of cotton before March 20 

 was prohibited by law in 190-5, so as to enforce a close season 

 for the control of pests and diseases. The record crop for the 

 island was grown in a season where the distribution of the 

 rainfall at Groves Station was — May r69, June 3-82, 

 July 6-13, August 7-15, September 918, with other 

 parts of the island in much the same ratio, and the 

 bulk of the planting done about the mouth of ^lay. On the 

 light cotton soils this ratio of rainfall may be considered 

 nearly ideal for the production of a maximum first crop, and 

 the results from individual estates and our own experiments 

 indicate that it is unimportant whether the planting takes 

 place in April or as late as July, rnfortunately the rainfall 

 is seldom distributed in this ratio, and a dry spell in the 

 middle of the season has usually resulted in the ripening of 

 the plants and the production of a second growth; but on 

 late planted cotton a second crop is seldom realized, owing 

 chiefly, it is now evident, to the serious damage done by 

 cotton stainers. Taking all things into consideration, the 

 conclusion has been arrived at that it is safer to adopt April 

 planting, in the majority of localities, so that should the 

 distribution of the rainfall prove unsatisfactory for the first 

 crop of cotton, a good second crop may result before 

 cotton stainers become unduly numerous. At the same 

 time should the rainfall jirove sitasfactory up till five 

 months from planting, and a maximum first crop obtained, 

 there will not be so marked a development of second growth, 

 and it may be negligible. (Annual Report on the Agricul- 

 tural Department, Montserrat, 1914-15.) 



THE BRITISH COTTON GROWING ASSO- 

 CIATION AND THE WEST INDIES. 



The following remarks concerning the activities 

 of the British Cotton Growing Association in the West 

 Indies are taken from a paper entitled 'The Effects of 

 the War on Cotton Growing in the British Empire', 

 read by Mr. J. Arthur Hutton, Cliairiaan of the 



Council of the Association, before a meeting of the 

 Royal Society of Arts, held on January 26, 1916: 



In some ways our task in the West Indies was easier 

 than elsewhere, for we had the invaluable assistance of 

 expert agriculturists, who had been scientifically trained. 

 I refer of course to the very able Director and Staff at the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture, who have done such 

 splendid work for the West Indian islands. It would be 

 a good thing for the Colonies, and indeed for the whole 

 Empire, if such an organization existed in every one of our 

 tropical possessions. As might be expected, with the help 

 of this expert assistance, our efforts in the West Indies have 

 been eminently successful, and these islands are now pro- 

 ducing a suflicient quantity of Sea Island cotton to meet the 

 present demand. 



The Association have made several money grants to the 

 West Indies for the payment of experts, the erection of 

 gmning machinery, and providing improved seed. What, 

 however, has probably been of even more assistance was 

 arranging for members of the Association to visit the Islands, 

 when they were able to get into close touch with the planters, 

 and to impress on them the necessity of producing the 

 quality of cotton required by the spinner. No less than 

 three separate visits have been paid to the West Indies, and 

 it is largely due to this that these Islands are now producing 

 the finest Sea Island cotton grown in the world. 



The principal assistance now rendered by the Association 

 is in financing and marketing the crop, and I am glad to say 

 that very little money has been lost in this direction. 

 I'ndoubtly one of the principal reasons for the success of the 

 British trade is our national honesty, and we have not had 

 a single instance of our confidence having been takea 

 advantage of in the \^'est Indies. 



An immense amount of time and trouble is devoted to 

 the sale of the cotton, so as to ensure that the grower will 

 receive the highest possible price. Sea Island cotton is not 

 everybody's cotton, and it is by no means an easy matter to 

 place it to the best advantage. The Association, however, 

 recognize that they are in the position of trustees, and that 

 it is their duty to do their best for any cotton confined to 

 their care; though, in any case, it would be to their interest 

 to obtain for the planter the highe.st possible price, for this 

 is naturally the best method of encouraging him to continue 

 and extend the industry. I am glad to say that the planters 

 fully recognize the advantages offered them, and the bulk of 

 the crop is consigned to us for sale. 



His Honour Judge J. S. Udal [late Chief Justice, Leeward 

 Islands] contributes to the September issue of Folk-lme an 

 interesting account of the practices connected with what is 

 known as the Obeah cult in the West Indies. These include 

 the worship of the criboe, a large black, non-venomous 

 serpent, and some ghastly rites of human sacrifice. It has 

 been asserted by some writers that these practices have now 

 ceased, but Mr. Cdal has collected a large mass of evidence 

 from law proceedings and other authoritative sources to prove 

 that this is not the case. He ends by expressing the hope 

 that 'now that the consciences of the public of our West 

 Indian colonies and of the Home Government have begun to 

 realize to what terrible lengths any indulgence towards or 

 weakening in the repressive enactments against this wide,- 

 spread plague of Obeah may lead, that we shall see the 

 rapid disappearance of any objectionable features in its cult, 

 leaving only,it may be, a harmless residuum that may still 

 afford some interest to the student and lover of folk-lore.' 

 {Nature, November 4, 1915.) • 



