118 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



April b, 1916. 



COTTON CONFERENCE, 



FIRST DAYS PROCEEDINGS,* 



In his presidential address, Dr. Watts dealt first with 

 the nature and purpose of the Conference. It was pointed 

 out that agricultural officers and leading representative 

 growers of cotton being assembled together, there should be 

 every opportunity for discussing matters both scientific and 

 commercial, calculated to advance the industry in the West 

 Indies. 



In dealing with the historical side of cotton growing 

 in the West Indies, Dr. Watts pointed out that the industry 

 originated in St. Kitts. During the last fifteen years it has 

 spread rapidly to other islands, including, it should be 

 remembered, neighbouring foreign possessions. How impor- 

 tant the industry is will be recognized from the fact that 

 during the past five years, the output of cotton from the 

 British islands has been 10,498,222 B)., which, taken at an 

 average value of la. 6rf. per ft., is worth £787,367 or 

 £1.^7,473 a year. 



The output of Sea Island cotton from the several British 

 We.st Indian islands during the past five years was shown by 

 Dr. ^Vatts to have been as follows : — 



Barbados 



St. Vincent 



Montserrat 



Antigua 



St. Kitts- Mevis: 

 St. Kitts 

 Nevis 

 Anguilla 



1,806,284 



1.249,875 



485,997 



2,180,032 ft. 

 2,110,613 „ 

 1,71.5,773 „ 

 765,137 ,, 



3,-542,156 



Virgin Islands 184,511 „ 



Continuing these statistical considerations, the speaker 

 called attention to the fact that the importance of cotton to 

 the individual islands them.'^elves varies very greatly. In 

 order to show the value which cotton bears to the total 

 exports from each Colony, the speaker exhibited a set of 

 tables the most significant figures in which are reproduced 

 for the benefit of our readers below : — 



coTTox PER c;ent. of total KXPOR'JS. 



These figures plainly show that while cotton production 

 is of comparatively small importance in comparison with 



*F(ir a i;eneral acci Hint nf tlio ConferciiLc, .see page 120 in 

 this i.ssuu. 



other industries in some of the islands, as in Barbados and 

 in Antigua, it is of very great importance to others, 

 particularly Montserrat and St. Vincent. 



In order to amplify the above information the speaker 

 presented a table showing the quantity of cotton shipped 

 during each of the past seven 'crop years', that is to say, 

 between October 1 of one year and September 30 of the 

 following, for each of the cotton-producing islands. 



Dr. Watts then turned his attention to the consideration 

 of others matters. He pointed out that while during the past 

 fifteen years we have learnt a great deal about cotton growing 

 in all its aspects, there are still a great number of problems to 

 be solved. He invited attention to the fact that the yields of 

 cotton per acre obtained in the first few j-ears of the industry 

 were considerably greater than those obtained during the last 

 five. Some of the probable causes, as for example, 

 unpropitious seasons and greater trouble from pests and 

 diseases in recent years, were outlined; but it was felt by the 

 speaker that the matter as a whole required careful discus- 

 sion with a view to determining what factors predominated 

 in one place, and what in another. 



CJoming to the question of tlie relationship between the 

 grower and the spinner. Dr. Watts asked the members present 

 to bear in mind the fact that the requirements of the 

 user are not fully understood by the grower. Similar terms 

 are used by grower and spinner which have differ- 

 ent meanings. For instance, strength to the grower 

 is generall}' taken to refer to breaking point, whereas 

 under this term the spinner refers to qualities which cause 

 the fibres to bind together into a uniform threatl. Fortunately, 

 said the speaker, very considerable advance had been made of 

 late in clearing up these difficulties by the researches of 

 Mr. W. L. Balls. His direct conrrexion at the present time 

 with the Fine Spinners may be regarded as a most fortunate 

 circumstance favouring the ^Vest Indian grower. In general, 

 when producing cotton for tlie spinner, uniformity above 

 everything else should be the main consideration. 



Dr. Watts then referred to the effect of the war on Sea 

 Island cotton, and the action taken by the Fine Spinners and 

 Doublers' Associatitm in guaranteeing a minimum price last 

 year. During the last few months the position of the Sea 

 Island cotton market has strengthened in favour of the 

 growers, and this together with a decided tendency towards 

 decline in the America,n cotton-growing islands, leads one to 

 believe that the West Indian cotton grower may experience 

 an unprecedented measure of safety in the future. 



In concluding. Dr. Watts made brief reference to 

 a matter of commercial importance which he dealt witli fully 

 later on in the Conference, namely, the possibilit}' of e»u.>- 

 lishing relations with the buyers of fine cotton which, while 

 securing tliem a safe supply, may at the same time put the 

 grower in a better position and enable him to dispose of his 

 crop promptly, and at reasonable prices. 



At the reijuest of the President, Mr. F. it. Shepherd, 

 Agricultural Superintendent, St. Kitt.'*- Nevis, read a state- 

 ment having regard to the general position of the cotton 

 industry in that I 'residency. It was decided that before 

 this statement wa.- discussed, similar one.s should be read by 

 the Agricultural Officers representing the other islands. Sub- 

 sequent to this, it was decided, a useful comparative discus- 

 sion should ensue. 



In his statement, Mr. Shepheid showed that there waa 

 a considerable reduction from 5,500 acres in 1914 down to 

 2,200 acres in 1915-16 on account of the war. In 1914, 

 although the yield of cotton was jjoor the quality was excellent, 

 and prices ruled from l.<. 8rf. to Is. lOW. |)er lb. Mr. Shepherd 



