118 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



Apeil 22, 1905. 



COTTON INDUSTRY. 



Conference of Cotton Growers at Barbados. 



A Cuiilironcc of oottun growers iiiulcr the auspices 

 of the Agricultural Society wa.s held at the Comiuercial 

 Hall, Barbados, on Fridaj-, April 14. Sir Daniel Morris, 

 in addressing the meeting, said : — 



Those who see tlie Agricultural Xtn'i are pretty well 

 informed with regard to matters coiineoteJ with cotton 

 growing and the position of West Indian cotton in the 

 English market. It is a matter of very great interest to the 

 people not only of Barbados but of the other parts of the West 

 Indies to find that West Indian cotton has won its way by 

 its own merits and good qualities into the foremost place in 

 the Engli.sh market. As you know, at the present time 

 AVest Indian cotton stands at the top of all, superior 

 even to the cotton produced in the Sea Islands ^^hence we 

 obtained the seech Our cotton at the present moment is 

 selling at from 27. to .3(/. per lb. over similar (pialities of Sea 

 Island cotton, and the latest information on that point is 

 contained in a letter received from Mr. Wolstenholme who, 

 under date March 28, wrote as follows : — 



' Carolina Island cotton is selling rather more freely, but 

 very good crop lots are offering at l.'5(Z. to 14(7. per If). 

 St. Yincent and Barbados are not only superior in fineness 

 and length but are much brighter and more lustrous, and 

 this 1 think accounts in a large measure for the higher prices 

 ■we have obtained. In fine yarn lustre is a great qualification, 

 and I have never seen brighter cotton than this season's 

 West Indian shipments.' 



The cotton industry has now reached an inqiortant 

 stage. It is recognized that it may be possible for the 

 West Indies to supply practically all the tine long-staple 

 cotton likely to be required in Lancashire. It would be 

 rather singular if England should again have to turn for 

 her best cotton to the West Indies, once her principal source 

 of sui)ply. Whether these colonies will rise to the occasion will 

 depend on themselves. They are in a position iu which 

 they may realize the expectations of their friends or gradually 

 let slip the advantageous position they now occujiy. The 

 AVest Indies, within a conqiaratively short time, have con- 

 clusively proved that they are as capable of producing 

 the finest commercial cottons as they were more than 

 100 years ago. This is a convincing proof that they are not 

 played out, Init, when occasion arises, they can compete in 

 their own particular line with any part of the world. 



My object to-day is to place before the cotton planters 

 in Barbados information whereby they might extend and 

 improve the important industry already started, and utilize 

 it for increasing the general prosperity of the people. 

 Perhaps the most pressing matter with which we have to 

 deal at present is the selection of suitable seed for planting 

 during the couung season. We have been informed that we 

 cannot hope to obtain any further seed from the Sea Islands 

 of South Carolina. Fortunately, we have already existing in 

 these islands a supply of Sea Island cotton seed, as good as, if 

 not better than, the crop lots produced in the United States. 

 What we have to do is to make a rigorous selection of the 

 best seed and have it carefully disinfected so as to prevent 

 the possibility of any disease being carried with it into the 

 new fields. I would specially urge that no .seed be introduced 

 from one island to the other except through the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture, otherwise diseases are likely to 

 be introduced which jnust add to the difficulties of the 

 planters and possibly cripple the industry. If we are to grow 



the best cla.ss of cotton, we must make it an annual crop and 

 plant in new land which should be well tilled and well 

 manured. This is the secret of large crops. About thirty 

 years ago, the average yield of lint in the Sea Islands was 

 only 103 lb. jier acre. Since then, by better cultivation and 

 iudicious manuring, they have raised the average yield to 

 200 Itj. of lint i)er acre. Now, while iu this i.sland we are 

 al)le to produce cotton of the highest quality, the yield 

 is not so satisfactory as could be wished. This year the 

 drought has no doubt had something to do with it, but 

 I understand on good authority that the cotton worm was 

 allowed to devastate large areas in some districts of the 

 island, and iiractically destroy the prosi>ects of the crop. It 

 has been suggested that one way of ascertaiiung whether the 

 worm is present or not, is to pay a small reward to the 

 weeders or others wlio first discover it. Another point is to 

 realize that the worm generally makes its appearance in the 

 nnddle of a field and not necessarily on the outskirts. The 

 treatment of the worm by tiie use of Paris green is now so 

 well understood, and it can be so easily controlled if taken in 

 time, that no reasonable excuse can be offered by tho.se who 

 suffer severely from it. 



An attenq)t has been made to ascertain what is the 

 cost of producing 1 lb. of the best Sea Island cotton 

 lint and placing it on the market. Several statements 

 have been comnnndcated to me varying according to 

 the local circumstances, but I believe we may safely 

 assume that under normal conditions, with selected and 

 disinfected seed planted in good .soil and well cultivated, 

 the cost will not appreciably exceed ad. per D>. In the 

 ease of an estate yiehling, say, 700 lb. of seed-cotton (equal 

 to 200 lb. of lint) and sold at 1GA</. per lb., this would mean 

 a profit at the rate of 11 if/, per lb. of lint, or, sav, iJlG'OO 

 (£9 \\s. SJ.) per acre. If, on the other hand, the estate 

 only produces 500 Dj. of seed-cotton (equivalent to 140 Bb. of 

 lint selling at \(i\d. p.'r Bj.), the net profit would be 11 ','7. 

 per fc.. or .'532-20'(£C 14s. 2rf.) per acre. In the Agriculturnl 

 Acirs (April 8) there is given an interesting statement based 

 on the results of growing cotton as a catch crop on 70 acres 

 of cane land at St. Kitt's, in wliich the estimated clearance 

 per acre is %i&'li (£5 17s. 7(/.). The net profit in this 

 instance would be Id. per lb. The value of the lint was 

 placed at Is. jier It), onlj'. It would be interesting to 

 deternune whether it is possible to grow cotton as 

 a catch crop with canes in this island. I suggest this as 

 a subject that might be usefully taken up and discussed at 

 a future meeting of the Society. In returns recently 

 prepared of the yield of seed-cotton on estates at Barbados it 

 would api)ear that on thirty-three estates the yield was between 

 •500 lb. and 900 lb. per acre, and on twenty-six estates it was 

 below 500 lb. per acre. On nineteen estates the yield was 

 700 lb. and up to 900 lb. per acre, and on fourteen between 

 500 lb. and 700 lb. per acre. The be.st time for planting is 

 a matter of great importance. The general opinion is now 

 in favour of early planting, that is, during the months of 

 June, July, and August, dei)ending on the rains. Early 

 planting has so many advocates that it de.serves careful 

 trial on a large scale during the coming season. 



In reference to cotton matters generally, the planters 

 in the West Indies may be regarded as having every 

 advantage placed within their reach. The British Cotton- 

 growing Association has done everything that it possibly 

 could, in the erection of ginneries, .sending out experts, 

 and in finding a good market for the produce. The 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture has obt<iined a supply of 

 the best seed, and furnished information by means of its 

 officers and its publications touching every detail; and I may 



