198 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



July 1, 1905. 



COST OF GINNING, BALING, AND 

 SHIPPING. 

 Dr. Francis Watts, C.M.G., has forwarded the 

 following statement showing the expenses incurred in 

 ginning^ baling, and shipping a pound of Sea Island 

 cotton at Antigtia. 'Hie statement is jirepared from 

 the returns obtained from the shipment by the 

 R.M.S. -Esk' on March S, 190.5, of -59 bales (containing 

 10J8.5 tti. of lint). The ginning and baling have been 

 charged at oc. per H). A similar statement for Barba- 

 dos will be found in the Aqricaltimd Xews, Vol. IV, 

 p. 180:— 



Exjierii^es in JCiighiiiil : — (ents. 



Discount at 1 }, ijer cent. ... ... '402 



Dues ..". 01.5 



Quay porterage ... ... •-. 019 



Freight 1-U6 



Hou.sing and delivery ... ... '198 



Rent -017 



Insurance ... ... ... ... 024 



Interest and bank commission . . . 006 



Brokerage at 1 per cent. ... ... 268 209.5 



Local exjienses : — 



Ginning and baling ... 

 Lighterage ... 



Total expenses 



.VOOO 

 •066 



3 066 



•5- 161 cents. 



MANURING COTTON FIELDS. 



In A.JJ.C. 'if <\>th/ii riai(L( iKj, pp. .57-S, there is 

 a recommendation in regard to chemical manures for 

 cotton as follows : — 



In America it i.-s found bust to use a general manure 

 containing 20 lb. of nitrogen, 20 B). of jHitasli, and 60 lb. of 

 soluble phosphoric acid jier acre. This may require 

 nuHlification for the We.st Indies. This could be obtained by 

 nii.xing -140 lb. of good superphosphate, 40 lb. of good 

 sulphate of pota.sh, and 100 lb. of good sulphate of ammonia. 

 This mi.xture .should be applied at the rate of -580 ft), per acre. 



It is best to apply it all in one ai)))Iication at the time 

 of planting the .seed. It should be drilled in at a di'pth nf 

 not more than .'! inches and well mixed with the soil. 



In cases where it is not po.ssible to afilbrd the 

 cost of the whole of the manure above referred to, it is 

 suggested that one-half the quantity may be applied 

 in each case, namely, 220 lb. of goofi .superphosphate, 

 20 !b. of good sulphate of potash, and .50 lb. (jf good 

 sulphate of ammonia. This mixture to be applied at 

 the rate of 290 lb. per acre. The total cost of the half 



(juantities would be about !?-! per acre, wdiile the cost 

 of the full quantities would be about $8. 



As supporting the recommendations mad" in the 

 A. B.C. <if Ciitfov I'lantliifi, the following may be 

 quoted as enibod3-ing the result of manui'ing cotton in 



Egypt :— 



Phosphoric acid, at the rate of 400 lb. per acre aiiplied 

 in the form of .soluble phosiihate, gives excellent results. 

 It tends to check excessive growth, increases the yield, 

 inipioves the staple, and hastens maturity. 



MANURING OF COTTON. 



The Hon. Franci.s Watts has forwarded the 

 followino; additional note on the manuring of cotton. 

 It should be read in connexion more especially with 

 the second paragraph of Dr. Watts' article published 

 in the A (jri calf aval A^&wk, Vol. IV, p. 182 : — 



While it is essential for .successful cotton growing that 

 the soil should be in good tilth and furnished with the 

 necessary plant food supply, it is, on the other hand, necessary 

 to avoid overmanuring, particular!}' with nitrogenous 

 manures, such as sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda, or 

 with farmyard maniu'e. A few instances of this kind have 

 been observed during the past season w'here the result has 

 been a very vigorous growth of stem and leaf accompanied 

 by a disproportionately small crop of flower, and consequently 

 few bolls and little lint. The lint, too, appears to have 

 suffered in quality, for a crop of cotton grown from Rivers' 

 seed thus overmanured was described as ' clean, bright lint 

 coarse staple ' and sold at l.<. per lb., while other cotton from 

 the same seed, but not overmanured, was selling at Is. 2d. At 

 the same time I would point out that overmanuring is not 

 a conunon fault. I fear, on the contrary, that, as stated liy 

 Mr. Lee, cotton is too frequently regarded as a 'botanical 

 "pariah"" (A.jricuUiiral iW;.--, Vol. IV, p. 10:?). 



With regard to the ajiplication of organic manures, such 

 as farmyard manure, sea-weed compost, or crushed cotton 

 seed, it should be observed that, as cotton is a rapidly growing 

 crop coming to maturity in a few months, manures of this 

 description must be applied sufficiently early to permit of their 

 thorough rotting and incorporation with the soil at an early 

 stage of the growth of the cotton plant, they .should therefore be 

 worked into the soil some time before the cotton seed is sown. 

 Farmyard and sinular manures should be used in a well 

 rotted and mellow condition. Planters accustomed to sugar- 

 cane, a crop having a long growing period, and one in 

 which the manurial efl'ect of farmyard manure is expected 

 to extend over some two to three years on account of 

 ratooning, are liable to overlook the necessity for the 

 thorough and rapid incorporation with the soil of organic 

 manures in the case of a short-period crop like cotton. 



I 



