390 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



December '23, 1905. 



BRITISH COTTON-GROWING ASSOCIATION. 



Handkerchiefs for the Pi'ince and Princess of 

 Wales. 



The British Cotton-growing Association, through 

 their President (^Sir Alfred Jones), for\varde(i to Slarl- 

 borough House the other day two boxes of handker- 

 chiefs made from West Indian cotton for their Ro3'al 

 Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. The 

 handkerchiefs were made from cotton grown from 

 American Sea Island seed in Barbados and St. Vincent, 

 which, when manufactured, has a natural gloss, and is 

 said to be very much superior to similar cotton grown 

 in the United States. Sir Alfred Jones has received 

 the following acknowledgement: — 



ilarlborough House, 



Pall Mall, S.W., 



October 12, 190-5. 



Dear Sir, —I have received to-day the two boxes 

 containing handkerchiefs made from West Indian cotton, 

 which the British Cotton-growing Association have been 

 kind enough to oft'er for the acceptance of the Prince and 

 Prince.ss of Wales. 



I am directed to convey to you and the members of the 

 association the best thanks of their Iloyal Highnesses for 

 these specimens of manufactured West Indian cotton. 



Their Ro3-al Highnesses are interested to know that the 

 cotton grown from Sea Island seed is of such superior quality, 

 and they trust that the efforts of the association in other 

 parts of His Majesty's dominions may be as .successful as they 

 have been in the West India Islands. 

 Believe me, dear sir. 



Yours very faithfully, 



(Sgd.) ARTHUR BIGGE. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



The Sea Island Report of ^lessrs. Henry W. Frost 

 & Co., dated Charleston, South Carolina, November 

 18, has the following note on the Sea Island cotton 

 market ; — 



Islands — The above sales of 303 bales reported, were 

 a lot of fine, sold for export at 23c. Since the close of the 

 exchange, further sales have been made, -50 fully fine 24 ^c. 

 for France, .50 fine 23c. for England. The market is quiet, 

 with very limited demand, and the planters' crop lots liave 

 been very much neglected. The factors are asking full 

 ]irices, but thej' seem to be di.sposed to meet the views of 

 the buyers if their bids approximate the holding prices. The 



receii'ts continue large, but the planters report it is largely 

 due to the very early maturity of the crop. 



FlovlJas. — Were in good demand taking the daily 

 offerings at our quotations, and the market clo.sed firmer but 

 not ijuotiibly higher. 



A week later the same firm reported : — 

 Islands. — The sales this week of 400 bales consisted of 

 •50 bales of planters' crop lots and 350 bales of fine, fully 

 fine, and extra fine at 23c. to 26c., and since the close of the 

 exchange export 200 bales of fully fine have been sold at 24c. 

 The market closed very firm at 23c. for fine, 21c. for 

 fully fine, and 26c. for extra fine, with factors not anxious 

 sellers but rather disposed to hold for higher prices. 



Messrs. W. W. Gordon & Co., of Savannah, 

 Georgia, report as follows under date November 17 : — 



The Sea Island market during the past week was quiet. 

 The demand was princi[)ally for the best grades, which were 

 not ottered freely, and for low grades, which were bought at 

 quotations. Intermediate grades were neglected. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON INDUSTRY. 



The following is an extract from the first Annual 

 Report of the British Cotton-growing As.sociation for 

 the year ended August 81, 190.3. This portion of the 

 report deals with the progress made in establishing 

 the cotton industry in the West Indies: — 



E.xcellent as were the results obtained in 1904, the 

 cotton produced in 1905 is still more successful. The 

 Hon. Sir Daniel Morris, the Imperial Commissioner of the 

 West Indian Deiiartnient of Agriculture, took esfiecial pains 

 to obtain a good supjily of a first-class quality of Sea Island 

 seed, and those planters who used this seed have every 

 reason to be satisfied, for the cotton produced is even 

 superior to that grown on most of the best Sea Island 

 lilantations in South Carolina, and has realized Id. to 'M. 

 per Bj. more than American-grown cotton. The spinners who 

 have used this cotton have found it econonucal in working, 

 and there is evidently a great futm-e before those AVest 

 Indian planters who have suitable land, and who will take 

 sufficient care in cidtivation and ginning in order to produce 

 the best results. The best testimony to the excellence of 

 the West Indian cotton is the exhibit of handkerchiefs 

 manufactured from yarn spun from it. These goods, though 

 not mercerized, have every ai)pearance of silk, owing to the 

 natural silkiiiess and gloss of the raw cotton. Although it 

 is not desirable that the market should be overdone with 

 cotton of this quality, there is now not the slightest doubt 

 that, should a scarcity arise, or should there be any mishap to 

 the American crop, we can depend on the West Indies 



