150 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



May 11, 1912 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholme and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date April 22, with reference 

 to the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



A fair amount of Imsiness is reported in West Indian 

 Sea Islands since our last report and prices are firm The 

 gales comprise Antigua, Nevis, St Kitts, Montserrat, An- 

 guilla, Barbados, ]8d. to '20d, and St. Vincent 2'3d. Some 

 stains have also been sold from Id. to \0d. 



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

 Sen Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending April 13, is as follows: — 



The market remains very quiet with little or no demand. 

 There is some enquiry for a few of the Planters' Crop Lots, 

 but at prices below the average views of the Factors. There 

 has been shipped this week to Northern mills .300 bales 

 which were held in stock by an exporter, con.sisting of part 

 of a purchase made last October, at 18c. to 20c., of cotton 

 more or less oflF in jjreparation. 



In the absence of any demand we can only renew our 

 last quotations, viz : — 



Extra Fine -320. = \8d., c.i.f., & 5 per cent. 



^^"^^ j,*°g^"^"^'j26c. to 28c. = 15d to Ud, c.i.f. & 5 per cent. 



Fine to Extra Fine, V, o . .-,- -,n^ ? ■. in 7 



~. ^. 'V18c. to 2oc. = 10ia. to 14Jr/. ,, „ „ 



off m preparation J ■ i n n » 



COTTON EXPERIMENTS ON THE GOLD 



COAST. 



Experiments in cotton-growing are being carried 

 out at the Agricultural Station, Tamale, on the Gold 

 Coast. The information below is taken from a descrip- 

 tion of them that is given in the Report of the Agricul- 

 tural Department for the year 1910, which has just been 

 received: — 



The Station is worked on the principle of a farm for 

 annual crops, as this suits the agricultural needs of the 

 Dependency. Plots are set apart for various perennial econ- 

 omic plants, and the remainder of the farm has been placed 

 under rotation, in which cotton figures prominently. 



The rotation to be observed is as follows: first year, 

 leguminous crop.=, such as ground nuts, native beans, cow- 



peas, pigeon peas; second year, cotton, American, or other 

 variety; third year, native Hibiscus fibre, maize or other grain 

 crop.'^, followed by quick-growing leguminous crops to be 

 turned in for green manure; fourth year, cotton, native or 

 other variety. 



Plots have also been set aside for the cultivation of 

 selected type.s of native cottons, for testing exotic varieties, 

 and experiments in different times of sowing have been insti- 

 tuted 



The total yield obtained from the cotton sown in 1909, 

 gathered during the first quarter of the year under review, 

 has been most unsatisfactory. The experiment was confined 

 to testing different times of planting the Black Hattler 

 (American) variet}', with the ordinary native variety. 



The yields are so poor that the results of the different 

 sowings can hardly be relied on, but unless better returns 

 can be shown In future it would appear that cotton cannot 

 be successfully grown for export. There was at first some 

 difficulty in obtaining an adequate supplj- of labour, so it is 

 probable that the poor returns are due in some measure to 

 the land having been insufficiently prepared. The soil at 

 the Station, however, although said to be representative of 

 that in the Dependency is not very fertile, and in any 

 case large returns cannot be looked for. 



During the past year, six different varieties have been 

 cultivated, viz.: American Black Rattler, American .Jones 

 Improved, American Hawkins, American Upland, Xyasaland 

 American, and' Dagomba Native. 



A few selected types are also being grown, and are 

 showing interesting variation. The present crop of Black 

 Rattler is from seed of the previous year's crop. It appears 

 to be acclimatized. The seed of the other exotic varieties 

 was received from Southern Nigeria. 



Five expetimental plots were sown with native cotton, 

 and four with American Black Rattler at different times, wdth 

 a view to ascertain the liest season in which to plant. 



The first sowings were made on July 13, and subsequent 

 sowings at intervals of fourteen days. 



The value of these experiments has been diminished by 

 heavy rains making the plots swamp}', and by an attack of 

 insects which destroyed the first crop of bolls. 



The climate seems suitable for cotton-growing if neces- 

 sary precautions against drought are taken. It is essential to 

 get a deep-ro6ted plant before the Harmattan commences, 

 otherwise the plant will quickly dry up, giving poor returns. 

 Mulching has been found to be of great benefit. 



The quality of some of the cotton is excellent; it is of 

 fine colour and lustre, and the seed is good. 



Gathering of the crop is proceeding, and gives indica- 

 ti'^ns of better yields than in last year. 



