406 



THE AGKICDLTDRAL NEWS 



December 21, 1912. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholme and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 "vvrite as follows, under date December 2, with reference 

 So the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



Since our last report about 230 Hales of West Indian Sea 

 Island cotton have been sold at firm prices. The sales include 

 old crop from Barbados, St Croix, Jamaica and Tobago at 

 14R to 16(7 and New Crop St. Kitts from ISd to iOd.; also 

 stains at 5jrf. to Qhd. 



The American Sea Island market remains firm and the 

 ■<iuality of the crop is poor. 



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

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending November 'AO, is as follows: — 



The market has been firm throughout the week with firm 

 demand at quotations,, and after the close of the official 

 report there was an active demand, with sales of about -100 

 Bale.s taking the offerings of No. 1 and Extra ]"ine off Islands 

 at 24c to 26c , and of odd bags of Fully Fine and Extra Fine 

 .4at 27:',c. to 29c. Besides there was some enquiry for the 

 Planters' crops, with .sales of G. Pioyall l-'i bales and Palmetto, 

 AHD 25 bales, at 33c. P)ids were made on several other 

 lots which Factors refused to accept. 



We quote, viz.: — 



c.i.f., ifc 5 per cent. 



THE WEST INDIAN COTTON-GROWING 



SEASON, 1911-12. 



It is proposed to review in this and a following article 

 the conditions that existed in regard to the last cotton- 

 growing season in the West Indies, namely that extending 

 from October 1911 to September 1912, inclusive. The plan 

 followed will be to give an account of the circumstances of 

 ihe season of growth in each of the islands of the Lesser 

 Antilles where cotton-growing is important, and then to 



present statistics as to production and prices. The general 

 information is compiled from data supplied by the agricul- 

 tural officers in the different islands from time to time. 



COTTGN PRODUCTION, 191 11 2. 



ST. viNi'ENT. The selection and disinfection of cottoa 

 seed at the Government Central Cotton Ginnery for the new 

 crop commenced in" April 1911, and in the next month the 

 preparation of the land had started well; the peasantry 

 bought a large quantity of the selected and disinfected seed, 

 and good germination was obtained where sowing had taken 

 place. From May 1 to the end of .June, 7,507 ft. of seed — 

 sufficient to plant 1,500 acres— was sold from the central 

 ginnery, and general satisfaction existed because practi- 

 cally the whole of the Sea Island crop of the past 

 season had been sold at I8d. per ft. and upwards. The 

 weather in July wks fair; though the rainfall and shortage of 

 labour had caused the young cotton to be weedy in some 

 districts. August • was a very wet month, and the raia 

 (1404 inches at the Botanic Station) caused some damage 

 in cotton fields in different parts of the island. The 

 continuation of this weather in the next month — the 

 rainfall at the Botanic Station in September was 21 81 inches 

 — caused more damage and the prevalence of angular spot en 

 both leaves and bolls; small pickings were made of early- 

 planted cotton. In October, the wetness of the season had 

 caufied plants of the old crop to become diseased, especially 

 in certain areas, the leaves and bolls being affected; there was 

 also an outbreak of the black scale {Saissetia nk/ra) in the 

 Leeward District. In December of that year, nearly all the 

 estates reported a shortage in the crop; in this month, a few 

 first bales sold at. 20d. per ft. In the end, a low average 

 yield was obtained. Some burning of the old cotton plants 

 was done, and the prevalence of the black scale caused the 

 Agricultural Superintendent to prepare a notice regarding 

 the cjntrol of this pest, which was posted by the Government 

 in the different cotton-growing districts. 



In another article in this issue of the Agricultural A'ews, 

 statistical details are given concerning the last cotton crop in 

 St. Vincent. ,,, 



M0KTSERK.\T. Good progress had been made already^ in 

 January 1911, in the preparation of new land for cottoa- 

 planting; and in February old plants were being destroyed, the 

 work being continued into the next month. The tendency in 

 this island is for the crop to be planted earlier in each year, 

 provided that suitable weather is experienced. Germination 

 tests were conducted with the seed used on estates, and showed 

 that this was good. April saw the experimental planting 

 between sugar-canes of a considerable area of cotton in the 

 Gages and Ltes districts; rain was being awaited for the gen- 

 eral planting, By the middle of June a regular stand of 



