342 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



October 21, 1916. 



COTTON. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



Messrs. Wolstenholme and -Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date September 18, 1916, with 

 reference to the sales of West Indian Sea Island 

 cotton: — 



Since our last report no business has been reported in 

 West Indian Sea Island cotton, owing to the stock being 

 exhausted. 



New Crop Floridas in Savannah are commanding full 

 prices. 



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

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the 

 week ending September Ki, 191(5, is as follows: — 



ISLANDS. As the old crop has been entirely disponed 

 of, leaving no stock whatever, and as the new crop will not 

 begin to be marketed before next month, you see that until 

 then quotations would be only nominal. The prices will be 

 governed very much by those ruling at the time for Georgias 

 and Floridas. 



FLOEii>AS AND GKoRiiiAs. The demand continues on 

 accountof the Northern and Southern Mills taking all offerings. 

 The buying at all interior markets being active, very little 

 cotton has been shipped to Factors in Savannah for sale. 



The quality of the receipts has consisted principally of 

 Fancy, rendering it difficult to buy Extra Choice, the small 

 percentage of the grade being frequently .sold along with 

 Fancy at the same price. With larger receipts this coming 

 week we hope we may see an easier market, or at least 

 a steady one, with better offerings. 



We quote, viz: — 



who have done much by issuing pure seed and securing good 

 prices at the auctions. One of the great difficulties is the 

 mixing with native cottons that occurs, often due to the fault 

 of the ginners and spinners. ( Monthly Bulhtin of Agricul- 

 tural Inlelligenci- nvl Plavt Diseases, February 1916.) 



Fancy 

 Extra Choice 

 Choice 



r.EOKIilAS AND FLORIDAS. 



32c. = 33.ic., 



landed. 



31c. to31J = 32Jc., to33c. „ 

 No stock. 



The exports from Savannah for the past week have 

 been 50 bales to Northern .Mills, 60 bales to Southern Mills, 

 and from Jacksonville to Northern .Mills 612 bales. 



ouoi- ADVICES. Although the weather has been 

 generally favourable during the {)a3t week we have only to 

 confirm our previous advices. This applies especially to the 

 Island crop. 



American cotton was first introduced into the Punjab in 

 1S84 when Upland Georgian .seed was tried. The crop 

 grew well but survived only in the form of stray plants 

 mi.Ked with the native cottons. It was reintroduced in 1902, 

 and in 1 903 experiments were made with acclimatized seed 

 at Lyallpur. but it was not until 190.5 that the work was 

 taken up systematically by the Department of Agriculture. 

 In 1911 the area under American cotton was le.ss than 10,000 

 acres, and in 191-1 it was not less than 70,000 acres. It is 

 now well established that the yield of American cotton is, on 

 the average, better than that of the native varieties, and the 

 critical i)eriod in its adi iption is now passed. The plant has 

 estiiblished itself l)y a sort of natural selection, unsuitable 

 types having been largely eliminated by pests. The Agricul- 

 tural Department has also helped by obtaining the support 

 and co-operation of local ginners and of exporters, 



CHINESE VINEGAR AS A COAGULANT. 



Mr. E. J. Eaton, Chemist on the staS of the Department- 

 of Agriculture, Federated ilalay States, contributes the 

 following to the 1 )epartment's Journal for July: — 



Enquiries having been received re the use of Chinese 

 vinegar as a coagulant, samples of this substance were 

 purchased on the local market in Kuala Lumpur, and have 

 been investigated in the Chemical laboratory. 



Chinese vinegar like English and other continental 

 vinegars consists essentially of a dilute solution of acetic acid, 

 but whereas the English malt vinegar is brown, Chinese 

 vinegar is colourless. Chinese vinegar is probably prepared 

 by the acetic fermentation of alcohol from rice, hence its 

 colourless nature. 



The following results were obtained on analysis of samp- 

 les jiurchased from different Chinese shops in Kuala L'lmpur. 

 The price per gallon of pure acetic acid calculated on the acid 

 content of the samples examined is also given; this has been 

 calculated from the amount of Chinese vinegar bought for 

 lOc, and based on the strength of the samples. These 

 prices are approximate, since larger quantities of the vinegar 

 could no doubt be purchased more cheaply. It is practically 

 certain however, that if a demand arose for this vinegar as a 

 coagulant, the price would increase considerably. It will be 

 seen that the prices do 'not compire at all favourably even 

 with present ruling prices of glacial acetic acid, at, say, 

 $45 per demijohn (4i gallons approx.) which is equivalent to- 

 about .$10 per gallon. No coagulations have 3'et been wade 

 by me with this vinegar, but it may safely be stated that its- 

 coagulating power will be similar to acetic acid of a similar' 

 strength, and that the rubber coagulated with it will be- 

 similar to acetic acid coagulated rubbers. 



Cost per gallon 



Kef. No. Amount ijur- Acetic acid calculated for pure; 



per cent. acetic acid. 



2-6 ^36 20 



5-6 17-31 



405 17-55 



6-2 14-33 



4-S 21-38 



3-9 25-64 



4-2 22-49 



Amount pur- 

 chased for lO.c. 



1 17 tt. oz. 



2 16A „ 



3 2-2i „ , 



4 18 „ ' 



5 15.V „ 



6 16' „ 



7 18 „ 



.1, 



The Geograpliiciil Journal contains an interesting paper 

 entitled tiie Synthetic Method of Determining Geographical 

 Regions. As regards agriculture, it is said that the productive 

 areas of the chief crops .serve useful geographical boundaries. 

 These divisions not only indicate the regions where tlie particu- 

 lar crops are largely obtained, but they correspond with the 

 complex climatic conditions which favour the various crops, 

 and also with the economic and social conditions which are 

 partly the cause and i)artly the effect of the [jarticular forms 

 of agriculture; this last point may be illustrated by the well- 

 known connexion between cotton cultivation and the 

 employment of negro labour in the United States, with its 

 many social and political conse<iuences. 



