Vol. IV. No. 86. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



231 



position we have attained. Unless the West Indies can 

 continue to produce a uniform quality, of a high standard, 

 our present position in the market cannot be maintained. 

 Some of the planters are very careless because they have 

 obtained the .same price as their more careful neighbours, 

 but there is little doulit that if a spinner has paid a good price 

 for cotton which has turned out to be of an inferior quality, 

 he will be on his guard when he sees the same mark again 

 offered for sale. 



Not only is it in the interest of the planter, personally, 

 to be careful about the quality of the cotton he ships, but it 

 is important, also, in the interest of the cotton industry in 

 the West Indies that no cotton should be sent from the islands 

 except the finest quality possible. 



THE INFLUENCE OF RATOONING IN ESTABLISHING AND 

 SPEKADINC; DISEASE. 



A change takes place in the character of the plant 

 during its growth. When young and healthy, it is in 

 a position to resist disease to a certain extent, but as it gets 

 older, and especially during the dry season, it loses 

 much of its vigour, and is thus unable to ward off disease. 

 Insect i)ests and fungoid diseases become firndy established. 

 These [ilants become a .source of infection to the young 

 plants which have just commenced their growth, and at the 

 time the latter come to maturity, the diseases are more 

 firmly established than in the [irevious season. 



A break ought to be made between the old and new 

 crops and the longer time that can be placed between the 

 two, the less chance there will be of the one proving to be 

 a source of infection to the other. 



ROTATION OF CROPS MORE ECONOMICAL THAN RAT00NIN(i. 



It is more economical to grow another crop after cotton 

 has been in the soil for a year. To produce a fine quality 

 of lint, we are well aware that the soil requires to be 

 reduced to a very fine tilth. A loose open soil gives the 

 best results. 



After the plants have been growing, and the soil has 

 been lying almost undisturbed for a year, it is getting very 

 hard and firm, and unless the plants are removed it is 

 impossible to change this character. To continue the growth 

 of the ])lants in this firm soil would be greatly detrimental 

 to the quality of the lint i>roduced. The firm setting of the 

 soil appears to be one of the most important factors which 

 influence the quality of cotton, and i)robably a factor which 

 is responsible to a great extent for the deterioration of the 

 quality after the first picking. 



Again, the cotton plant is one which has a number of 

 its roots passing to the deepest layers of the soil ; some of its 

 roots are also in the upper layers, but there is no comparisun 

 between the roots of the sugar-cane and the roots of the 

 cotton in these upper layers of the soil, so that while cotton 

 is growing the upper layers are resting to a certain extent. 

 To continue the growth of the cotton plant will be to con- 

 tinue to drain the same land of food which has already 

 given up almost all that has been rendered available, and 

 it would be a far better policj' to make a change and 

 put in some plant, such as the sugar-cane, which is a more 

 extensive surface feeder. This method of working has given 

 excellent results. 



'The subject of ratooning cotton in St. Kitt's-Nevis 

 is thus referred to by Mr. F, R. Shepherd, Agricultural 

 Superintendent, in a recent letter to the Imperial 

 Commissioner of Agriculture : — 



With reference to the conditions existing in St. Kitt's as 

 to ratoon cotton, I am able to inform you that all the old 

 cotton has now been cleared off the land and the cotton for 

 the coming season is l)eing freely planted. 



In Nevis some of the old cotton still remains, but the 

 owners have been warned as to the mistake they are making 

 in not destroying it, and I feel sure that soon there will be 

 none left. 



In this presidency it is very important for the success of 

 the industry that your advice should be strictly carried out, 

 as the leaf-blister mite attacks the old cotton to such an 

 extent that remedial treatment is useless. 



HAYTI. 



The following reference to the prospects of cotton 

 cultivation is made in the Consular Report on Hayti 

 for 1904 :— 



Some 3,017,014 lb. of cotton were exported in 1904, as 

 against 3,200,271 lb. in 1903, and 2,000,000, lb. in 1902. 

 The gathering of cotton is generally abandoned on coffee 

 rising in price. Jlost of the cotton was from St. Marc. The 

 best quality is said to be grown at Gonaives. The cotton 

 was shipped i)rincipally to Hamburg and Harve and a little 

 to Liverpool. Some 275,847 lb. of cotton seed, chiefly from 

 •Jacmel, were likewise exported. The jn'ices commenced 

 at 30c. per lb. in the month of March, but reached .50c. 

 per lb. (owing to high premium on gold) in May and June. 

 The price drojiped to 30c. in August 1904. 



Owing to the higher prices obtained for cotton during 

 1904, planters were encouraged to cultivate this product on 

 a larger scale, Imt the great disturbance in Haytian finances 

 caused a rapitl increase of all expenses, and thus they were 

 compelled to reduce their planting. This country is .suited 

 to cotton growing, and but little care or cultivation is 

 required, the expenses being in the gathering, ginning, and 

 leafing. The staple is of fairly good quality. 



Exporters of cotton from Hayti are continually being 

 blamed for the manner in which they pack and clean their 

 merchandise. The cotton is generally badly gathered, and it 

 often appears to be i)icked too late, a defect, which, taken 

 together with the humidity and the sun having given it 

 a dark colour, causes its niarketalile value to be diminished. 

 Owing to the somewhat woolly nature of Haytian cotton it 

 has been suggested that it should be exported to Europe in 

 denser bales than those in use. 



The quality of cotton g;ro\vn resembles the fibres of 

 Brazil (Ceara, Pernambuco). I have been informed that Sea 

 Island cotton has been introduced, with a chance of its 

 increasing. 



EGYPTIAN COTTON SEED FOR SALE. 



With reference to the announcement in the Agricultural 

 News (Vol. IV, p. 120) to the effect that the Imperial 

 Commissioner of Agriculture had obtained a supply of 

 seed of the best varieties (.Jannovitch, Abbassi, and ilitAfifi) 

 of cotton from Egypt, it may be mentioned that there is 

 .still a small quantity for disposal. The following quantities 

 are on hand : 28 lb. of -Jannovitch, 44 lb. of Abbassi, and 

 8 K). of MitAfifi. Those desirous of obtaining some of 

 this seed for planting in the West Indies should communicate 

 with the Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture (Head Oflice, 

 Barbados) without delay. 



