Vol. IV. No. 96. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



391 



liroducing all that we require of the better qualities of cotton. 

 Out of the total crop no les.s than 1,746 bales of a value of 

 over £28,000 have jiassed through the association's hands 

 this last season, and the planters are most satisfied with the 

 price obtained. 



The prospects for the coming season are equally good, 

 for there will probably be an increase in the area under 

 cultivation of from 30 per cent, to -50 per cent., and as most 

 of the planters have now realized the importance of the use 

 of carefully selected seed, there is every reason to look to 

 a still further improvement in quality. St. Vincent and 

 Barbados have been the most successful islands, the climate 

 in the latter is the more suitable, but the soil in the former 

 is very much superior. Good results have also been obtained 

 in Montserrat, St. Kitt's, Nevis, Antigua, and other islands, 

 but in Jamaica very little has been done. In addition to 

 advantages for our spinners, the re introduction of cotton 

 cultivation has conferred an undoubted benefit on the West 

 Indies, as it will enable planters to be less dependent on one 

 single article of produce, viz., sugar. A small commission is 

 now charged by the association on the cotton which is sent 

 to them for sale, but it is fully recognized by the planters 

 that it is well worth their while to pay this commission so 

 as to ensure their cotton fetching a fair price in this market. 



In addition to the great thanks which are due to the 

 Hon. Sir Daniel Morris and to his staft' for their untiring 

 exertions, and to those Governors and other officials who 

 have actively interested themselves in cotton growing, 

 especial mention should be made of the invaluable services 

 rendered by Mr. Lomas Oliver, a member of the council and 

 a large user of Sea Island cotton. During his visit to 

 the West Indies last winter he drew the attention of the 

 planters to the defects in the quality of the cotton 

 previously grown by them, and pointed out that it was only 

 by the most careful cultivation, the most careful harvesting, 

 and the most careful ginning and baling, that they could 

 hope to realize a full price for their productions. Mr. Oliver 

 visited most of the islands where cotton is being grown, and 

 it is impossible to over-estimate the immense value of his 

 visit, which was made at considerable personal inconvenience. 

 The thanks of the members are also due to the executive of 

 the Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers' Association for 

 enabling !Mr. Oliver to place his services at the disposal of 

 the association ; nor would it be right to pass over without 

 mention the great amount of time which another member of 

 the council — Mr. Charles Wolstenholme— has so willingly 

 given in superintending the valuation and sale of the cotton. 

 As many of the shipments have been in small lots of one or 

 two bales, this work has been a heavy tax on Mr. Wolsten- 

 holme's time, and, in addition, he has most readily given his 

 services for the valuation of the hundreds of samples which 

 are sent to the association from time to time from all parts 

 of the British Empire. 



The association have also sent out ginning and other 

 machinery to the planters, and this is now being supplied on 

 a commercial basis, but with easy terms of repayment and at 

 a moderate rate of interest. An oil plant has recently been 

 sent to Barbados at a cost of about £1,600, and this should 

 prove of great advantage to the planters, as it will enable 

 them to obtain a good price for their seed locally. 



The association made a special grant last year of 

 jE300 towards the services of an additional expert, who has 

 travelled throughout the various islands telling the planters 

 what to do and when to do it, and helping them in all cases 

 of difficulty. His services have proved so valuable that the 

 council have decided to renew the grant for another year. 



TOGGENBURG GOATS.* 



The following account of this valuable breed of 

 goats is extracted from the C. S. Monthly Consular 

 Reports for September : — 



To meet the requests of many American correspondents 

 desirous of information regarding the value of the Toggen- 

 burg goat, Consul-General Peters, of St. Gall, Switzerland, 

 transmits the following report, which was prepared at his 

 request by Mr. \\'issman. Director of the Cantonal Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture of St. Gall : — • 



Toggenburg is in a long and fertile valley of the Thur, 

 and is a district within the Canton of St. Gall, long famed 

 for its goats. The milk of the goat is rich in quality, and 

 keeps quite as well as cow's milk. It .sells for 3.5c. to 3't<c. 

 per litre (1'0567 quarts). These goats breed at a year old, 

 the time of gestation being five months. The food in summer 

 consists of grass and shrubs, but in winter, if the milk is to 

 continue rich in quality, a small quantity of grain and hay 

 must be given, and the temperature of the stall should be 

 kept at from 57' to 62° F. 



FEEDING AND HEEDING. 



In regard to the amount of pasture land required for 

 the support of this animal, it is computed that from six to 

 eight goats will need as much as one cow, and that one 

 man can manage from forty to fifty goats. Generally 

 speaking, the milk of the cow is more popular, but for 

 children the goat's milk is in greater demand, as tuberculosis 

 is hardly ever found in these hardy animals. The milk of 

 the goat makes an excellent cheese and fairly good butter ; 

 but as to the latter, the milk of the cow retains its 

 pre-eminence. The meat of the young goats, from five to 

 twelve weeks old, is considered a great luxury. Indeed, it is 

 often mistaken for venison, and sells for from 29c. to 39c. for 

 2'1 lb. This compares very favourably with the average 

 price received in Switzerland for beef, which is 33c. to 37e. 

 for 2-2 tti. 



The average clip on long-haired goats is about 4 '4 D). ; 

 the liair is not very marketable, but is used in some instances 

 for ropes, which are very strong and defy the action of water. 

 The skins are worth from 29c. to 58c. each, but the finest 

 and best bring as much as 61 "35 each. 



If well cared for, these animals will give milk from 

 their first to their tenth yeai', when they decrease in flow 

 and finally dry up. Ordinarily, they will produce milk for 

 eight months in a year. The price of these animals is 

 higher in the spring than in the fall, but the average for 

 a good one, from one to three years old (male), in the fall, is 

 §9-65 toSl9'30. Females of the same age bring $!7'72 to 

 89'65 ; four-year-olds bring as high as $13'51. 



It may be mentioned that several goats of the 

 Toggenburg breed have been introduced into the West 

 Indies by the Imperial Department of Agriculture. 

 ' Bruce,' a handsome billy, and a fine milking goat 

 ('Pauline'), of the same breed, were imported in 

 January 1903. As stated in the Agricultural News 

 (Vol. IV, p. 216), 'Pauline' died some few months 

 ago. She had, however, given birth to seven kids. 

 'Bruce' has two sons — 'Wallace' at Halton estate, 

 Barbados, and ' Paul' at St. Vincent. 



* The name of this breed of goats has liitherto appeared 

 in the Agricultural Netcs as TofFenburg. It apj>ears that the 

 correct spelling is Toggenbui'g. 



