13-t 



THE AGKICULTUKAL NEWS. 



May G, 1905. 



COTTON INDUSTRY. 



Ratooningf Cotton. 



In \ie\v of the very .strong recommendations 

 already made by this Department against ratooning 

 Sea Island cotton, it is hoped that planters will not 

 adopt so injurious a practice anywhere in these 

 colonics. If further evidence were necessary in 

 .support of the policy advocated by the Department, it 

 would be found in the following extract from a letter 

 received from Jlr. Charles M. Wolstenholme, the 

 well-known Cotton Broker of Liverpool, dated April 1 1 

 ia.st :— 



I Lope vou will be able to stamp out the ratooning- of 

 Barbados and St. Vincent cotton. The planteis may find it 

 to pay for one season, but it spells ruin for the industry. 



When once West Indian cotton proves inferior to 

 ■Carolina it will be relegated to the category of Florida and 

 ■CJeorgia, and will be looked at with suspicion. 



The moral is : /'"//'/ Ilntiiini. 



growing A.s.sociation is very warudy apineciated in the West 

 Indies. 



Cotton is now coming forward very freely from the West 

 Indies and the (|uality seems to be well maintained. During 

 the past fortniglit 403 bules were imiiorted into the United 

 Kingdom, ikdium fine is ipioted y'O.jt/. per lb.; and West 

 Indian Sea Island, medium fine, liliL per It).; fine, 13^.?. 

 per lb.: and e.xtr.i fine, Ihld. jier Iti. 



West Indies. 



The following note on the cotton industry 

 appeared in the H'c-^^ India Committee Vircidur for 

 Ajail 11, 190.5:— 



It will be remembered that in April last year, when 

 .41 conference took place between representatives of the British 

 Cotton-growing Association and the West India Committee, 

 we suggested the advisability of cotton e.xperts lieing sent out 

 to the colonies. An effort was made to induce the 

 ■fiovernment to provide funds for this jiurpose hut they did 

 not see their way to do .so.* The British Cotton-growing 

 Association then gencrou.sly decided to make a grant to 

 strcugtheu the hands of the Imperial Department of Agri- 

 «ulture in this direction. This has enabled Sir Daniel ?»forris, 

 the Connnissioner of Agriculture, to secure the services of 

 Mr. T. Thornton, who has been appointeil cotton inspector in 

 the West Indies. His work will consist of visiting the 

 various plantations and giving advice where necessary. At 

 present, he is specially engaged in making a careful 

 microscopical examination and testing the strength of the 

 fibre. He will also make careful note of whatever pests 

 .appear, and make provision for their extermination. It is 

 iiuuecessary to add that this action of the British Cotton- 



* This is lint so. On the recommendation of the Imiierial 

 •Commissiciiier of Agi-icalture the Treasury approved of a grant 

 oi £200 for tliLs purpose. [Ed. A. N.'\ 



THE CACAO TRADE. 



Figures given in the Grncir and statistics from the- 

 IfOard of Trade .show that the importations and stock in the 

 United Kingdom and London alone for lOOI exhibited 

 a grent increase over those in 1903, and the (piantities of 

 cacao ex[iorted, on the contrary, showed a very material 

 decrease as compared with those in the }ircvious year ; the 

 total (|uantity of cacao duty paid in this country during 190-1 

 is equal to 45,313,072 »)., or 4,12.5,7l'1 lb. more than_ in 

 1903. Trinidad suiii>lies, as will be seen, have been excessive, 

 and after such stiff rates as 72s. to 76s. were current for 

 ordinary to good red, as little as 5Gs. to 64s. was accepted 

 later in the year now closed. Grenada cacao, nearly always 

 preferred by the trade, at first fetched the extreme market 

 value of from 50s. to 60.s. 6c/., but in sympathy with the 

 depreciation of other sorts the final quotations la.st year fell 

 back to 52.<. to 57.s. for fair to good quality. Amongst other 

 British West India sorts as regards weight of supply and 

 excellence of quality, Dominica at the best periods was taken 

 at from 50s. to 61s. 6(/., and at the worst times as low as 

 48s. 6d to 54s. per cwt. African cacao increases in extent 

 and influence each j-ear, often controlling the tendency of the 

 market as a whole, more especially at the chief entrepot of 

 Liverpool, where the heaviest importations are received and 

 disposed of at .such very reasonable rates as .seldom fail to 

 induce free purchases for both home and cxi)ort parpo.ses. 



Castilloa Planting in British Honduras. 



Mr. Eugene Cauqibcll, Curator of the Botanic Station at 

 lielize, Ihitisli Honduras, writes : ' We are now taking up 

 the jdanting of Castilloa trees on crown lands. This I 

 consider a very important move, as there is, probably, no 

 Ijctter [ilace for the Central American rubber tree than 

 British Honduras, and every effort should be made to 

 demonstrate its value and the most suitable methods of 

 cultivation. A few days ago I met :Mr. O. F. Cook, of the 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture (.Vuthor of The Cultun 

 of the Cnitnd American Ruhher Tnc), who ha-s been 

 travelling in Guatemala and Mexico. He informs mc that 

 he has discovered that there arc at least four distinct species 

 of Castilloa, but he is not yet in a position to say wliiih of 

 them is likely to be the most profitable one to grow.' 



