Vol. XI. No. 254. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



23 



COTTON EXPORTS FROM THE 



WEST INDIES, 1910-11. 



The following table gives the exports of cotton from the 

 West Indian colonies mentioned, during the season October, 

 1910 to September 30, 1911 :— 



2,940,033 



£196,456 



* This colony shipped only 8,643 lb. of Sea Island cotton 

 lint, valued at £.566, the rest being Marie Galantc. 



This statement is prepared from returns made by the 

 C'ustoms Authorities in each case. 



COPRA IN THE PHILIPPINES. 



The Philippine Islands shipped abroad 116,374 metric 

 ions of copra in the calendar year IS 10, and the average 

 price for the year was about 3ic. gold per lb. The price 

 increased during the year from about 3e. to 4c. gold per lb 

 in the last quarter.^J 



The steady growth of the trade i.s indicated by the fact 

 that shipments increased from 168,473,199 lb., valued at 

 $5,461,680, in 1908, to 232,728,116 a valued at .^6.657,740, 

 in 1909, and to 254,156,982 lb., valued at .i?9,153,951, in 

 1910 (fiscal years in each case), and that there was an 

 increase from 113,463 metric tons in the fiscal year to 

 116,374 metric tons in the calendar year of 1910. 



Because of the high price, due chieHy to the e.xtraor- 

 dinary demand for vegetable oils, and liecau.se of the strong 

 demand generally, there is something of a boom in the 

 cocoa nut business in the Islands, and the increase in trade 

 is having a marked effect, not only on the Islands themselves, 

 but upon shipping in the Far East and other lines of busi- 

 ness. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE CROP. In the Philippines the 

 export of copra is now the second largest element in the 

 foreign trade, comprising almost a fourth (23 per cent.) of 

 the whole, and being exceeded only by hemp. Cocoa-nut 

 planting is being carried on more extensively than ever 

 before. Six years ago there was a pericid of high prices, 

 during which time extensive plantings weie made, and these 

 trees will come into production this year. Indications are 

 that the export of the product during I'.ill will exceed all 

 previous years in volume, while, owing to the shortage of 

 other oil-producing crops, the prevailing high prices may 

 continue for some time. 



Naturally, such conditions are leading to a general 

 expansion of business in all lines connected with cocao-nut 

 planting and plantation supplies. 



Oi:0WTIl OK TP.ADE WITH THE UNITED ST.VTES. Ex- 

 ports of copra from the Philippines to the United States 

 have more than kept pace with the increased imports into 

 the latter country due to the demand for cocoa-nut oil. The 

 total of imports of copra into the United States during the 

 fiscal years 1908, 1909 and 1910 were 8481,232, .-?666,S20, 

 and 8762,560, respectively, and the imports thereof from the 

 Philippines were •S21 3,999, .«273,497, and 1416,074 respec- 

 tively. 



The increase in imports of copra into the United States 

 during the three years was about 58 per cent., while the 

 increase in imports from the Philippines was about 90 per 

 cent. Nevertheless, most of the product went to France, 

 mostly to Marseilles, where the great cocoa-nut oil factories 

 are largely dependent upon the Philippines for their copra 

 supplies France took -se, 1 14,324 worth of the product in 

 the last fiscal year, 'iermany, particularly Mannheim, takes 

 an increasing quantity, while Spain maintains a trade long 

 established. (Daily Consular and I'rade Reports.) 



MAIZEl IN THE UNITED STATES. 



The following information is suiiiiuaiized in the 

 Modern Swjar Planter for Decomber 28, 1911, from 

 an official statement issued by the United States 

 Census Bureau on l)c(;eiiiber 15: — 



CENEUAL sUMMARV. The area of corn harvested increased 

 from 94,913,673 acres in 1899 to 98,383,033 acres in 1909, 

 a gain of 3,469,360 acres, or 3 '7 per cent. Notwithstanding 

 this expansion in acreage, there was a decrease in pro- 

 duction, which fell from 2,666,324,000 bushels in 1899 to 

 2,552,190,000 bu.shels in 1909, a decrease of over 100,000,000 

 bushels, or 4 '3 per cent. The average production per acre, 

 doubtless by reason of temporary weather conditions, fell 

 from 28' 1 bushels to 25-9 bushels. On the other hand, 

 the value of the corn crop increased enormously, from 

 8828,192,000 to 81, 438,.554,000, a gain of over §600,000,000, 

 or 73-7 per cent. The average value of corn per bushel thus 

 advanced from 31c. to over 56c , or about S3 per cent. 



The increase in the acreage of corn from 1899 to 1909 

 was very much less in either of the two preceding decades. 

 The area in corn rose from 62,368,504 acres in 1879 to 

 72,087,752 acres in 1889, to 94,913,673 acres in 1899, and 

 to 98,383,033 acres in 1909. The corn acreage in 1909 

 exceeded that of 1879 by about 58 per cent, whereas the pop- 

 ulation of the country during the same period increased 

 a little over SO per cent. The production of corn in 1879 

 was 1,754.592,000 bushels, as compared with 2,552,190,000 

 bushels in 1909. 



DisTHip.uTioN OF ACREACE. Of the total of 98,383,033 

 acres in corn in 1909 the two North Central divisions con- 

 tained nearly J — 21,910,559 acres lying in the Eastern section 

 and 35,94."i,297 acres lying in the Western section. About 

 \ of the area planted in corn is found in the two South Cen- 

 tral divisions; the South Central States lying east of Missis- 

 sippi Itiver having an acreage of 11,328,268 There is 



also a considerable acreage, 11,386,984, in the South Atlantic 

 division, while the four remaining divisions — New England, 

 Middle Atlantic, Mountain, and Pacific — aggregate only 

 2,899,8.58 acres. 



