310 



THE AGKICULTURAL XEWS. 



September 28, 1912; 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholme and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date September 9, with reference 

 io the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



Since our last report only about 50 bales of West Indian 

 Sea Islands have been sold, chiefly liJ. to 15i^., and a few 

 stains at 9i'i. 



Buyers are (juite inditfeient and will not operate until 

 they can get some idea as to the prices at which American 

 Sea Island cotton will open next month. Meanwhile, the fine 

 spinning trade does not improve, and until it does so, many 

 spinners are continuing to employ their machinery upon 

 "various descriptions of Egyptian cotton. 



PROGRESS IN COTTON-GROWING JN 

 UGANDA, 1911-12. 



The cotton crop continued its rapid advance and there 

 Tvas a further large increase in the area planted. 



The seed distributed to natives by the Government 

 amounted to 207 tons as compared with 133 tons and 70 

 tons in the two preceding years. This increase in acreage 

 cannot be very accurately estimated from the increase in 

 seed distribution, as there is now much less waste of seed 

 than in former years, and germination has always been so regu- 

 lar and satisfactory that the sowing per acre has been some- 

 -what reduced also. No increase is probable or I think desirable 

 during the coming season. The transport facilities have 

 already been strained to their utmost to deal with the 

 present output. In the out-districts cotton remains often 

 for months awaiting transport. This will probably be 

 remedied to a great extent in the near future by the setting 

 up of ginneries in the up-country districts. 



Although a check and possibly even a considerable 

 set-back may be looked for in the immediate future, the 

 Protectorate is still a very long way from reaching its limit 

 as a cotton-producing country; apart from the increase that 

 may be expected, when the transport facilities have been 

 more fully developed, in the districts where the crop is 

 already established, a large area of country suitable for 

 cotton cultivation lies in districts which are only now being 

 brought under Administration, and it will be many years 

 before their agricultural possibilities can be fully realized. 



Probably the most important part of the work, that this 

 Department is at present engaged upon, is the improvement 

 of the quality of Uganda cotton; the preliminary work has 

 been done during the last three years, and provided that the 

 present supervision of seed supply is continued, a steady 

 advance may be looked for. 



The seed farms originally laid down with a view to 

 supplying a high quality of seed were all abandoned, as they 

 did not fulfil their object. A plant-hreeding station has 

 now been established on the shores of Lake Kioga and the 

 Otticer in-charge is confining his attention largely to seed 

 selection with a view to improving both staple and yield. 

 A pleasing feature is the increased productiveness of the 

 newly introduced long stapled varieties, which without 

 exception gave a much larger yield per acre during the past 

 season than from the first sowing of the seed in the 

 Protectorate. 



The experiments with Egyptian cottons were not 

 satisfactory and they are being abandoned with the exception 

 perhaps of a few minor plant-breeding trials. Mit Afifi 

 cotton gave a fair yield in the Bululu district but the staple 

 was most inferior; Abassi on the other hand remained true 

 to the Egyptian type as regards staple but gave poor 

 returns. Neither of these varieties gave res-ults that can 

 compare in any way with the Allen and Sunflower varieties 

 of upland cotton. 



A few experimental plots of Caravonica cotton were 

 planted in the Nile districts. (From the Annual Pieport of 

 the Department of Agriculture, Uganda, for the year ending 

 March 31, 1912.) 



THE BRITISH COTTON GROWING ASSO- 

 CIATION. 



The following account of a meeting of this associ- 

 ation has just been received: — 



The one hundred and third meeting of the Council of 

 the British Cotton Growing Association was held at the 

 Offices, 15 Cross Street, Manchester, on the 3rd instant. In 

 the absence of the President (The Rt. Hon. The Earl of 

 Derby, G.C.V.O.) the Chair was taken by Mr. J. Arthur 

 Hutton. 



SUDAN. A discussion took place as to the possibility of 

 pushing on the development of this country as rapidly a3 

 possible, and it was suggested that a large deputation should 

 be organized to urge the Imperial Government to provide the 

 necessary capital for railways, irrigation works, etc., either 

 by an actual loan or by guarantee. It was decided to defer 

 the question until fuller information had been obtained as 

 to what actual works the Sudan Government propose to 

 construct in the immediate future. 



WEST AFRICA. A report has been received from the 

 Association's representative in Northern Nigeria, stating that 

 the prospects continue very favourable and estimating tha 

 crop for next season at 6,000 bales. 



