102 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



March 30, 1912. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholine and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 wr;te as follows, under date March 12, with reference 

 to the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



Since our last report, about 400 bales of West Indian 

 Sea Island cotton have been sold, chiefly from the Leeward 

 Islands from I8cl. to \9d., with a few at 20d.; Barbados 18c7. 

 to 20(^.and St. Vincent 20rf.to 23d. The market continues firm. 



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

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending March 9, is as follows: — 



The market has been very quiet throughout the week, 

 and no sales are reported, but the crop 22 bales Stnno has 

 been .sold on private terms, we think for France. The otter- 

 ing stock consists principally of Planters" Crop Lots, and 

 about 3-50 bales to 400 bales of old crop cotton which is 

 firmly held. 



We quote viz : — 



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



Fine to Fully Ugc. to 28g, = lod. to 16d c.i.f. &z 5 per cent. 



Fine j 



Fine to Extra Fine,U g^ ^^ ^-^ ^ lOj^ ^^ ^^yj 

 oflf in preparation ) " » i. n u 



COTTON EXPORTS FROM THE WEST 



INDIES IN 1911. 



The following table gives the exports of cotton from the 

 West Indian Colonies mentioned, during the civil year 1911: — 



Estimated value. 

 £ s. d. 

 42,400 1-5 8 



Colony. Weight in tti. 



Barbados 740,269 



St. Vincent . .511,947 



Montserrat . -544.607 



Nevis 348,908 



St. Kitts 306,-590 



Antigua 193,984 



Anguilla 127,49.5 



Virgin Lslands 43,410 



Trinidad and Tobago 6,0-56 



Grenada and Carriacou* 274,224 



Total 3,097,490 203,983 12 9 



*This Colony shipped only 6,643 Db. of Sea Island cotton 



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



40,529 



38,692 



24,813 



21,311 



13,090 



8,888 



3,096 



456 



10,205 



COTTON IN NORTHERN NIGERIA. 



The following is taken from the letter of the late 

 Governor of Northern Nigeria, Sir H. Hesketh Bell, 

 K.C.M.G., transmitting to the Secretary of State for 

 the Colonies Colonial Reports — Annual, No. 704, 

 dealing with Northern Nigeria: — 



Strenuous efforts are being made to encourage the 

 natives to grow cotton on a large scale. Experimental plots 

 were established in various centres and the relative merits of 

 three different varieties of cotton were tested. An excessive 

 period of drought militated not only ajrainst the success of 

 those experiments but also against the whole normal output 

 of cotton, and tLie crops almost everywhere were below the 

 average. Buying deiiots are now being opened by the 

 British Couon Growing Association in the chief cotton-grow- 

 ing centres, and a ginnery on a very large scale is in course 

 of construction at Zaria. 



.As soon as the natives begin to realize that cotton is 

 a crop which is not aflected by the local supply and demand 

 and for which there is always a ready sale to an unHmited 

 extent, they will embark largely in its cultivation. Although 

 I cannot share the extremely roseate views that have been 

 expressed in the past concerning the rapid development of an 

 immense output of cotton from this Protectorate, I believe 

 that, under proper guidance and encouragement, there will 

 be a steady and continuous increase of production and that 

 the industry will have a marked effect on the prosperity of 

 the territory. The people have for centuries been accustomed 

 to the growing of cotton, and have little to learn as regards 

 methods of cultivation. The success of the problem lies in 

 the improvement of the local varieties of cotton and in the 

 discovery of means by which the productiveness of the plants 

 can be enhanced. I am of opinion that though the outlook 

 in the Hausa States is distinctly hopeful, the pro.spects of 

 cotton-growing on a very large scale are much more promis- 

 ing in the fertile lands of the provinces bordering on the Niger 

 and Benue. 



Curing of Tobacco. — It has long been known that 

 this process could be materially altered and controlled b-y 

 e.xterual means. It has been recently stated that a process 

 has been perfected in Germany whereby the wild ferments 

 are first destroyed by electrical sterilization and then the 

 required mould is introduced. 



In this way superior results are claimed, and the aroma 

 nnd flavour improved. It is possible that this may be so, 

 as the process as it stands may be compared with that used 

 ill the control production of Imtter. On previous occasions, 

 11. o preliminary sterilization of the tobacco has been absent. 

 (The Chemical World, .January 1912.) 



