274 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



September 9, 1905. 



Not only, it should be renicmbcred, does such 

 action as has been refeircd to above entail a large 

 amount of extra work in grafiing (which must become 

 an impossible task as the exports from the West Indies 

 increase), but it also causes the growers to obtain 

 a lower price. Independent proofs of this are furnished 

 by the Sea Island market reports, published from time 

 to time in the Ayriccltanil Xe^rs, which show that 

 ' crop lots ' realize as much as 4c. per It), more than odd 

 bales. 



It is also desired to urge shippers not to pack 

 different ipialities of cotton in the same bag, even 

 though these may be divided by canvas. This is 

 frequently done with the cotton that remains over from 

 different gi'owers after full bales have been made up. 

 Fine spinners have a groat objection to the slightest 

 suspicion of mixture. If, therefore, more than 100 it), 

 remain over from a planter's crop, but not sufficient 

 for a whole bale, it should be shipped in a small bale : 

 if a planter has less than 100 lb., he should hold it over 

 and send it with next year's crop. 



Another important pi^int in connexion with the 

 shipment of cotton is the marking of the bales. It is 

 most desirable that all the cotton shipped under 

 a partictdar mark shoultl be of the same quality. On 

 this point Mr. Oliver said : ' Those planters who intend 

 producing a really good ijuality of cotton should put 

 their names, or the names of their estates, upon the bags 

 containing their first-grade cotton, and some other 

 distinguishing mnrk on their second grade. In our 

 trade if the cotton of a certain mark has been found to 

 yield satisfactory results, the spinner will look out with 

 interest for the same mark of cotton again, and in two 

 or three years that plantei', if he keeps up a regu.lar 

 standard quality, will have c.^tablishc<l a name which 

 will prove a veiy valuable trade asset.' 



It is for this reason most important for growers to 

 avoid shipping latoon cotton under the same mark as 

 their first-crop cotton, if they desire to maintain the 

 reputation their first shipments have made. For the 

 results during the present season certainly tend to 

 show that the (juality of ratoon cotton is inferior to 

 first-crop cotton. 



There are still many growers who have not yet 

 realized the importance of sorting their seed-cotton. 

 All stained, .soiled, or inferior-looking cotton must be 

 separated from the general crop and shipped as such, 

 otherwise the appearance and quality of the first grade 

 will be lowered, and that mark must take a second 

 place on the niaiket. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



St. Kitt's. 



In reporting to the Imperial Commissioner of 

 Agriculture on a recent visit to St. Kitt's, Dr. Watts 

 makes the following interesting statement in regard to 

 the improved prospects of the sugar industry and the 

 cidtivation of new varieties of seedling canes in that 

 island : — 



The .sugar crop of St. Kitt's has been a satisfactory one 

 during the jiast jear, and the prospects for tlie future are 

 very favourable. On all bands one heai's good accounts of 

 several of tlie new varieties of canes, particularly B. 147, 

 which has been most usefully employed in ridding certain 

 districts of fungoid attacks, at the same time giving 

 eminently satisfactory yields of sugar. B. 208 also finds 

 favour in the eyes of many planters, having given in one 

 instance over 4 tons of muscovado sugar per acre, as already 

 noted in the Agricultural News (Vol. IV, p. 194). D. llC) is 

 also favouralily regarded by some. 



The oiiinion is freely exi^essed that the island has 

 benefited in a very large degree from tlie introduction of new 

 varieties of canes. There is little doubt tliat the i>ractice of 

 placing experiment plots in the hands of iilantcrs upon the 

 estates themselves has had an important etiect in Ininging the 

 canes under the actual notice of the ()lanters and enabling 

 them to form their own judgement ujton them in addition 

 to the opinions expressed in reports. Jnfiuences other than 

 tlie rejiorts have thus been steadily and beneficially at work. 



The prospects of St. Kitt's appear very encouraging ; 

 sugar has been remunerative during the jiast year, and the 

 young crop has a iiromising appearance. The interest taken 

 in new varieties of canes tends in the direction of progress, 

 and will assist in protecting against future attacks of cane 

 pests and dangers of that nature. 



"West Indian Seedling Canes in Queensland. 



A recently issued report by the Director of the 

 Experiment Stations in Queensland on experiments 

 with new varieties of canes shows that good results 

 were obtained from several West Indian canes. The 

 results with these are given in the following table : — 



The cane, of all those experimented with, which 

 gave the highest percentage of sucrose and the highest 

 quotient of purity was B. 208. 



