310 



THE AGEICULTUKAL NEWS, 



October 7, 1905. 



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tii^itt' 'iV^fetss?^ 







SEA ISLAND CROP REPORTS. 



The following information in regard to the Sea 

 Island crop is extracted from recent reports of Messrs. 

 Henry W. Frost & Co., Charleston, South Carolina: — 



From the Islands and coa.st of Carolina some localitie.s 

 give very unfavourable reports as to the promise of the 

 crop, others not as much so, and others even favourable. 

 But taking the island crop as a vs'hole, from the present 

 outlook it is estimated it may fall short of the last by 10 to 

 1.5 per cent. 



The reports from Georgia and Florida are also generally 

 unfavourable. They are, however, to about the same purjjort 

 as in Carolina, as some sections report a fairly good promi.se. 



The weather has now become settled and favourable, 

 and should we continue to have favourable conditions from 

 now on, there will be ample time for the prospects to 

 improve. The general opinion now is that the crop can, 

 under no circumstances, equal the last ; but it is impossible 

 at this date to predict what the final result will be. 



SEA ISLAND 



COTTON IN 

 INDIES. 



THE WEST 



The 'Annual Sea Island Cotton Eeport' of Messrs. 

 W. W. Gordon k Co., of Savannah, Georgia, has the 

 following reference to the important position that the 

 West Indian cotton industry is assuming : — 



The cultivation of Sea Island cotton in the West India 

 Islands is assuming important dimensions, and the planters 

 there are making every effort to produce desirable grades of 

 Sea Lsland cotton by selecting the seed with care, by using 

 the best qualities of fertilizers, and by rotating their crops. 

 Cotton raised during the past season proved satisfactory as 

 a substitute for the higher grades of Florida and Georgia 

 cotton, and the average grades of Sea Island cotton. 



If planters of Florida and Georgia cotton desire to 

 continue to obtain good prices for their product, it will be 

 absolutely necessary for them to exercise more care in 

 .separating the seed-cotton which has good staple from the 

 seed-cotton which has poor staple before the cotton is put 

 through the gin. ^^'e also urge upon our customers the 

 importance of carefully selecting and putting aside the seed 

 produced upon the most vigorous and perfect stalks, so that 

 they may have this seed for planting purposes next season, 

 in case it proves to be impossible to obtain fresh seed from 

 the Carolina Islands. We strongly emphasize the necessity of 

 keeping up the quality of the staple of the cotton and of 

 packing bales which are perfectly uniform, both in staple and 

 preparation. Interior merchants .should take steps to impress 

 these requirements upon the planters of Sea Island cotton. 

 A faOure to do so will result in lower prices. 



WIND-BREAKS IN COTTON FIELDS. 



Whenever young cotton is sheltered by a field of canes 

 or corn, or by an elevation in the land, the growth of the 

 young cotton plants is much more luxuriant than when 

 they are fully exposed to the breeze. 



When there is but a low rainfall and a constant breeze 

 is blowing over a field of young cotton, the drying influence 

 of the wind is very distinctly reflected in the young plants, 

 for they do not possess the healthy vigorous appearance 

 which is seen in the plants sheltered in the manner above 

 described, but remain small and starved. 



If the cotton field is a large one with a field of canes 

 on the windward side, it is very easy to see the extent of the 

 protection afforded bj' the canes. Where protected, though 

 in the same field, the plants will be twice or three times 

 as large as those beyond the protection of the canes. 



Good head-rows of Guinea corn might be planted on 

 the windward side of the field, or, if the field is large, one or 

 more rows mieht be run across it. 



COTTON GROWING IN BARBUDA. 



Dr. Francis Watts has furnished the following 

 information in respect to the experimental cultivation 

 of cotton in the island of Barbuda. A sum of £100 

 was placed at the disposal of the Government for the 

 jjurpose by the British Cotton-growing Association : — 



I have to inform you that 19 bales of first-cla.ss cotton 

 and 3 bales of stained cotton have been .shipped in con- 

 nexion with the Government experiment in cotton growing 

 in Barbuda. It may be interesting to make the following 

 provisional estimate of the position, in view of the steps to 

 be taken to continue the cultivation : — 

 Cost of cultivation, etc., ... £101 

 ,, ,, ginning and baling ... 2-5 3 £12G 3 



11 bales .sold at Is. IM per a. £103 \ 

 8 bales to be .sold, say, at £9 



jier bale... ... ... 72 



3 bales stained cotton, saj', at 



£4 lO.s. 13 10 



Profit on cotton alone ... 



188 10 1 



£ 62 10 1 



In addition, there were produced 9,909 lb. of cotton seed, 

 which has been returned to Barbuda for stock food and 

 manure, the value of which may be taken at from £14 to £20. 



Under these circumstances cotton growing api>cars to 

 be highly profitable, and I would advise that as niuuli land as 

 can be satisfactorily looked after be placed under cultivation 

 with this crop. 



