Vol. XI. Xo. 26G. 



TUE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



215 



The cotton industry in Ceylon is still being supervised by 

 Messrs. Freudenberg A- Co., but drought and other circum- 

 stances have caused little progress to be made. 



WEST iNDiE.s. It is well to reproduce in full what is said 

 about rotton in this part of the world: — 



'There has been no great increase in cultivation recently 

 and this is largply due to the low prices which prevailed 

 during 1911. Those planters who stuck to cotton have, 

 however, secured good prices, for owing to the partial failure 

 <jf the American crop there has recently been a substantial 

 advance in the price of Sea Island cotton. Although the 

 market for this class of cotton is a limited one it would be 

 a great mi.sfortune if the planters in the West Indies were to 

 materially reduce their acreage. Some of the best authorities 

 are convinced that the day will come when spinners of the 

 finer classes of yarn will have to depend mainly for their 

 supidies on the West Indies. There seems to be every 

 probability that sooner or later the boll weevil will reach the 

 Atlantic States and that ultimately the cultivation of Sea 

 Island cotton will have to be abandoned in that part of the 

 world. The Association are doius; their best in o operation 

 ■with the Imperial Department of Agriculture to lielp the 

 planters to secure good prices for their cotton, and in this 

 connexion they wish to record their deep appreciation of the 

 invaluable services rendered by the Hon. Francis Watts and 

 Mr. C. M. Wolstenholme, and which are perhaps not as fully 

 ajipreciated as they should be. 



'In accordance with a request from Dr. Watts, arrange- 

 tnent.s were made for representatives of the Association to 

 attend the Agricultural Conference at Trinidad, and Sir 

 Owen Phillips very kindly offered a free passage for one of 

 the delegates. Mr. .John W. McConnel and Mr. William 

 MarsLind very kindly placed their services at the disposal 

 of the Council, and they not only attended the Conference 

 but also visited most of the cotton growing islands. The 

 Council cannot sufficiently thank these gentlemen for giving 

 up so much valuable time to the work of the Association. 

 Their report has been published separately, and it is to be 

 hoped that this expedition may lead to valuable re.^ults.' 



WEST AFRICA Continued Harmattan win^ls during the 

 growing season have again reduced the crop so that it was no 

 larger than that of 1910; the progress that is being made, 

 however, in Northern Nigeria may bring about larger results 

 next year. West African cotton has created a mirket for 

 itself, and most of it has been sold at relatively high prices, 

 almost on arrival; there has been great improvement, particu- 

 larly in Lagos cotton. The Council expresses some concern 

 in regard to the proposal to establi.'^h a separate silver token 

 currency in the West African colonies. 



GOLD COAST. The pioneer work has been continued in 

 accordance with an agreement with the Government, and 

 possible extension in the Northern Territory has received 

 particular attention. Disappointing results have been ob- 

 tained so far, and it is stated that unless they improve it will 

 be useles.s to spend any more money in cotton trials on the 

 Gold Coast. 



L.VGOs. As in the case of West Africa generally, the 

 cotton output has sutfered from the Harmattan winds, the 

 output having been only 5,9C0 bales as compared with 6,000 

 in 1910 and 12,000 bales in 1909. Though this result is 

 disappointing, there has been great improvement in the quali- 

 ty of the lint, and encouragement has been oflFered to growers 

 in the shape of a minimum rate of payment for all seed-cotton 

 produced during this year. The buying agreement with the 

 merchants has been renewed, and the Council records its 

 appreciation of the valuable assistance that has been given 

 by the mercantile community of Nigeria. 



SOUTHERN NIGERIA. Kesults useful as regards quality, 

 but only moderate with respect to quantity, have been 

 obtained. The work is proving itself valuable as a means 

 of raising seed for distribution ebewhere. 



XORTHEEX NIGERIA. Consideration of the exports of 

 cotton would lead to the conclusion that little progress has 

 been made, but it continues to be pointed out that the etfect 

 of the present work will be felt in future. The practical 

 completion of the Baro-Kano railway and other extensions 

 are bringing a large portion of Northern Nigeria into 

 economic touch with the rest of the world. Special assist- 

 ance is being given by the Council in the direction of the 

 provision of gin.s, and of material for trials of improved 

 methods of transport. 



liRiTisH EAST AFRICA. The results on the coast are 

 again unsatisfactory, though there has been a considerable 

 extension of cotton-growing in the neighbourhood of Kisumu. 



UGANDA. The exports for 1911 exceeded 19,000 bales, 

 and it is expected that in a year or two the Protectorate will 

 produce over .50,000 Iiales of lint per annum. Additions 

 have lieen made to ihe ginning plant, and further assistance 

 is available in the completion of the new railway which will 

 open up ac important area around Lake Choga. 



NYASALANI). The progress is stated to be continued and 

 satisfactory, though more advantage should be taken of the 

 ginning factory and hydraulic press that have been erected at 

 Port Herald. It has been decided for the present not to 

 commence a plantation, as was suggested in the last report, 

 chiefly on account of the competition that may be produced 

 in the labour market. In relation to this difficulty, propo- 

 sals are being made concerning the employment of motor 

 ploughs and the construction of railways. 



The general report, to which several useful appendixes 

 are added, is brought to an end with most interesting informa- 

 tion in connexion with cotton-growing in Rhodesia, South 

 Africa, and Egypt and the Sudan, but space does not permit 

 an account of this to be given The present review may be 

 completed, however, by the full quotation of the following 

 conclusion to the report: — - 



'Although, as will be seen from the above, some of the 

 ventures undertaken by the Association have been unsatis- 

 factory and may ultimately have to be abandoned, on the 

 other hand the results of the past year's working in several 

 of the Colonies are more than encouraging. Uganda is now 

 producing a large quantity of cotton, Northern Nigeria is at 

 last making real progress, and in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 

 there are almost boundless possibilities for the future. These 

 three countries, with the assistance of Nyasaland and the 

 West Indies, can supply all the cotton, both as regards 

 quality and quantity, that Lancashire requires. The Council 

 are convinced that the pcsition of att'airs to-day is the most 

 satisfactory since the inauguration of the work and that large 

 and important results may shortly be expected. 



'Very satisfactory progress is also being made with the 

 development of the purely commercial side of the work, 

 viz., selling, financing, and insuring cotton and seed, supply- 

 ing machinery, stores, etc., to planters and others. The 

 income derived from this work now goes a long way towards 

 covering the cost of the Head Office in Manchester. 



'Before concluding, the Council wish to record their 

 appreciation of the excellent work done by the Staff, and 

 more particularly by those whose lives are spent in tropical 

 and unhealthy countries. Without exception they have 

 willingly and enthusiastically devoted themselves to the 

 great work of promoting and establishing the growth of 

 cotton throughout the British Empire ' 



