ii 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



March 16. 1912. 





WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



MesBra. Wolstenholme and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date February 26, with reference 

 to the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



Since our last report, between four and five hundred 

 bales of West Indian Sea Island cotton have been sold at 

 hardening rates. 



The sales comprise Montserrat and Virgin Islands 17rf. 

 to 18d., St. Kitts IShd to 20d., with some superfine lots 

 21rf. to 23d., and Stf Vincent 22(f. to 2id., with a few 

 exceptional bales at 25d. 



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

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending February 17, is as follows: — 



There has been a moderate demand this week, which 

 resulted in the sale of some lots of old, crop cotton, which the 

 owners consented to sell on a basis of quotations. There is 

 no demand for the Planters' Crop Lots classing Extra Fine, 

 which the Factors are showing more disposition to sell, and 

 would make some concession from present asking prices. 



We quote viz : — 

 Extra Fine 32c. = 18d., c.i.f. , & 5 per cent. 



Fine to Fully 1 ^^ 28c. = 15rf. to Ud. c.i.f. A 5 per cent. 



Fine J 



Fine to Extra Fine,| jg^ ^^ 25c. = lOhd. to Uid. „ „ „ 

 obF in preparation / . * > 



Insurance of West Indian Cotton.— A new 



notice concerning the West Indian All Risks Policy for insur- 

 ance by the Briti.sh Cotton Growing Association shows that 

 an alteration has been made in the direction of an additional 

 rate of premium, amounting to 2s. 6d. percent. , on cotton 

 transhipped by a sloop or drogher in the West Indies ; thi' is 

 in addition to the 8s. 9d. per cent, net for Jamaica, lO.s-. per 

 cent, for Barbados and 1 2-'>. 6</. for the other islands. The 

 amount of the premium will be deducted, as before, from the 

 account sales. The addition has been made because of" the 

 buying of cotton in th» Grenadines, and its transhipment to 

 St. Vincent in sailing boats, and it is advised by the British 

 Cotton Growing Association, in order to avoid any possible 

 trouble, that planters whose cotton is likely to be shipped or 

 transhipped in this way shall give notice to the Associa- 

 tion beforehand, and also supply similar information when 

 the cotton is shipped from the West Indies by the ocean 

 •teamer. 



THE BRITISH COTTON GROWING 



ASSOCIATION,, 



The following account of a recent meeting of the 

 Council of the British Cotton Growing Association has 

 just been received : — 



The ninety sixth meeting of the Council of the British 

 Cotton Growing Association was held at the Offices, 15, Cross 

 Street, Manchester, on February 6. 



In the absence of the President (the Right Hon. the 

 Earl of Derby, G.C.V.O.), who had been commanded to 

 attend the Thanksgiving Service at St Paur.s Cathedral, 

 Mr. John E. Newton occupied the Chair. 



WEST .-XFKICA. Considerable progress has been made 

 by the Goveriiment during the past year in the construction 

 of roads in the cotton-growing districts of Lagos, and the 

 Association's Staff is now better able to inspect the farms 

 where the bulk of the cotton is produced. 



The latest reports from Lagos are to the effect that the 

 crop will be a late one, tut there is every reason to believe 

 that a larger area was planted with cotton than in 1910. As 

 the Harmattan season is not yet over, it is not to be expec- 

 ted that the crop Will come through without suft'ering to 

 some extent, but allowing for this it is expected that the 

 crop will not be less than 7,000 bales. 



The purchases of cotton in Lagos for the month of Jan- 

 ( uary were 147 balgs, as compared with 92 bales for January 

 ' last year, and 87 bales for 1910. 



A cable has been received from Northern Nigeria stating 

 that the purchases for December were 175 bales, and it is 

 estimated that the crop this season will amount to not less 

 than 2,000 bales. 



UGANDA. The new crop is now beginning to come forward, 

 and there is every, reason to believe that the production will 

 exceed that of last year, when 19,000 bales of cotton were 

 exported from the Protectorate. 



EHODESM. The .Association's^ representative, who has 

 recently made a toiir of inspection through the Fort Jameson 

 district of North-east Rhodesia, is quite convinced of the 

 future of this country for cotton, and estimates that, during 

 the present season, there will be 4,000 acres under cotton 

 cultivation. In order that experiments may be made to evolve 

 a .suitable type of quick-matuiing cotton for the higher 

 altitudes, several varieties of American seed are being ob- 

 tained, and a number of varieties which have done well 

 in the Nya.saland Uplands. The area of land suitable for 

 cotton is practically unlimited, and the terms on which land 

 can be obtained are most advantageous. Up to quite recently 

 it was necessary to carry the cotton in small bales on the 

 heads of natives for a considerable distance; but a good road 



