Vol. XI. No, 274. 



THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS, 



343 



The fiovernment have also allotted a large track of land 

 -some 2,500,000 acres in extent, to be divided up into lots of 

 5,000 acres and sold by auction in Buenos Aires to the 

 highest bidder. The price of the land is payable in half- 

 jearl)' instalments according to the decree at present in force. 



This region will be traversed by a cailway under con- 

 -struction from Barranqueras in the Chaco territory to Metan 

 in Salta. As soon as the railhead reaches the 127th mile 

 connexion will be made with a branch line of the National 

 Central Railway, thus establishing communication between 

 the Northern provinces and the deep waterway of the Parana 

 river, which will have a stimulating effect upon the indus- 

 tries of the district to be opened up. 



The date of the sale by auction of the lands above 

 leferred to will be fixed as soon as the surveys of the new 

 railway are complete, and will be announced at least three 

 months before the sale takes place. The surveys will 

 jjrobably occupy a period of from three to six months. 



THE BRITISH COTTON GROWING 

 ASSOCIATION. 



The folio tving account of a meeting of this 

 Association has just been received. 



The one hundred and fourth Meeting of the Council of 

 the British Cotton Growing Association was held at the 

 Offices of the Association, 1 5 Cross Street, Manchester, on 

 the 1st instant. 



The President, the Jiight Hon. The Earl of Derby, 

 G.C.V.O., occupied the Chair. 



SOUDAN. A discussion took place as to the best method 

 of pushing on the development of cotton-growing in this 

 ■country and as to organizing a deputation to His Majesty's 

 Government. The question was postponed pending further 

 information on the subject. 



WEST AFRICA. The purchases of cotton in Lagos to the 

 «nd of September amount to 8,8.5.3 bales, as compared with 

 5,274 bales for the same period of last year and 5,469 bales 

 for 1910. The purchases in Northern Nigeria to the end of 

 September are 2,301 bales as compared with about 500 

 bales for the whole of the previous season. There is every 

 reason to believe that the quantity of cotton produced in 

 West Africa this season will create a record. 



NYASALAND. It was mentioned that the Shire Kiver has 

 lieen very low for some time and that it may be December 

 next before any quantity of cotton can be shipped home from 

 Port Herald. At the end of July the Association had over 

 400 bales lying at Port Herald, and this quantity has since 

 been greatly increased, thus necessitating the locking up of 

 several thousand pounds capital for many months owing to 

 the inadequate transport facilities. In this connexion it was 

 hoped that arrangements would soon be completed for the 

 -extension of the railway from Port Herald to the Zambesi. 



c<:anda. It was mentioned that a' Conference had been 

 ield at the Colonial Office at which Mr. J. Arthur Hutton, 

 the Chairman of the Council of the Association, was present 

 to discuss the question of the expenditure of a portion of 

 the Government loan of £500,000 towards the improvement 

 of roads, etc., in the cotton-growing districts of Uganda. 

 Mr. Hutton stated that he considered the lines on which it 

 is proposed to work were sound, and that the proposed roads 

 -would be most useful in opening up new cotton lands. 



Satisfaction was expressed at the progress which was 

 ■being made in the different colonies on the eastern side of 

 Africa and it was pointed out that during September the 



Association tad sold about 3,000 bales of cotton from these 

 districts. 



A financial statement with which the account oou- 

 cluiles shows that <m October 3 the balance to be raised^ 

 to compli-te the authorized capital of the Association, 

 namely £500,000, was £23,039. On .September -i itj 

 was £23,127. 



AGRICULTURE IN THE GOLD COAST 

 NORTHERN TERRITORIES. 



The Protectorate is purely agricultural, and owing to 

 the cost of transport bulky produce cannot be profitably 

 exported: the people in con.sequence have no inducement to 

 till more land ihan is sufficient to produce such foodstuffs as 

 are necessary for their personal consumption. However, 

 they are quick enough to recognize the advantage of trade 

 as is shown by the fact that around places like Tamale, 

 Salaga, Tamale Port, Zouaragu, and other important trading 

 centres, where food can be sold for money, the natives have 

 made great progress in extending the area of land under 

 cultivation, and in various other ways have shown that the 

 previous indifference was only due to lack of demand for 

 their farm produce. 



Increased interest has been taken by the chiefs and 

 people in the work of the agricultural station at Tamale, 

 Various experiments have been made at this station during 

 the year in the rotation of crops, and in the compari.son of 

 different varieties of cotton, rice, fibres, etc. Foodstuff* 

 such as cassava, sweet potatoes, ginger and peppers hava 

 been introduced, and are gradually being distributed to the- 

 native farmers. Bullocks have been successfully trained to 

 draw carts and to plough. 



A large number of ornamental trees and shrubs have 

 been planted in the cantonments at Tamale, and they appear 

 to be thriving very well. 



To encourage cotton growing, small cotton farms have 

 been made in eighteen villages, and in addition a consider- 

 able amount of cotton seed has been distributed. 



The British Cotton Growing Association during the year 

 completed a number of permanent buildings at Tamale, 

 containing gins and a press, which are quite adequate to deal 

 with all cotton likely to be purchased locally. A ginnery 

 and a press-house, containing a hydraulic press, have also 

 been erected at Tamale Port, on the Volta liiver, to further 

 compress bales for transport. 



The price paid by the Association for native and Ameri- 

 can cotton has been increased respectively by }<f. and ^d. 

 per V),, and it is hoped that this enhanced price may be aa 

 inducement to the natives to grow more cotton in 1912 The 

 amount of cotton brought for sale during the past season has 

 been very disappointing, but a considerable increase is 

 expected next season. 



The harvest throughout the Protectorate has beea 

 reported abundant; in consequence an ample supply of maize, 

 guinea corn, millet, 3'ams, beans and rice was to be had in 

 the markets. 



In order to improve the local breed of cattle an experiment 

 similar to that of 1909, of importing specially selected bulls 

 from the United Kingdom, has been tried during the year, 

 unfortunately with a like result, as the bulls died on their 

 journey from Coomassie. It is now proposed to start, under 

 the superintendence of the Curator of the Agricultural Station^ 

 a herd of specially selected native cattle for experimental 

 purposes. (From Colonial RepoiU Annual, No 722j August! 

 1912.) 



