54 



THE AOUIUULTUKAL NEWS. 



Febeuary is, 1911. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholme and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date January 16, with reference 

 to the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



Since our last report, a few small lots of West Indian 

 Sea Islands have been sold, chiefly from the Leeward Lslands, 

 at from 20d to '22d. Buyers are, however, very indifferent 

 and we expect a dragging market. 



A further report from Messrs. Wolstenholme and 

 Holland, dated January 30, states: — 



About 250 bales of West Indian Sea Island cotton have 

 been sold since our last report, chiefly St. Vincent '20d. to 

 22d. with a few bales at 2-3(7. 



The fine trade continues inditierent and buyers will 

 only operate very sparingly. 



The report of Messrs. Henry W. Frost & Co., on 

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending January 28, is as follows: — 



There has been .some demand during the past week, 

 resulting in the sale on private terms of several planters' 

 crops, aggregating upwards of 100 bales, included in which 

 are the crops, 45 to 55 bales Special, 50 bales Robt. Bee, 15 

 bales Corona. There is some further demand for planters' 

 crops at prices below the views of the planters. 



The market for odd bags classing Fine to E.xtra Fine 

 remains very quiet, with Factors still holding at our quota- 

 tions, refusing to sell at any further concession in [)rice. 



We quote viz: — 



E.xtra Fine Islands at 36c. = 20d c.i.f. & 5 per cent. 



Fully Fine „ 34c. = 19rf. „ „ „ „ 



Fine „ 32c. = ISrf. „ „ 



THE BRITISH COTTON GROWING 



ASSOCIATION. 



A report, dated January 12, 1911, has been receiv- 

 ed from the British Cotton Crowing Association, from 

 which the following extracts are taken : — 



The eighty-third meeting of the Council of the Briti.sh 

 Cotton Growing Association was held at the Office of the 

 Association, 15, Cross Street, Manchester, on Tuesday, the 

 10th instant. 



In the absence of the Earl of Derby, G.C.V.O. (Presi- 

 dent), Mr. J. Arthur Hutton occupied the Chair. 



WEST .\FRICA. A calile has been received from Lagos 

 stating that the climatic conditions continue favourable, and 

 the crop prospects are e.xcellent. The picking of the crop 

 will commence this month. During the past year the Asso- 

 ciation has conducted some experiments on a small scale with 

 Nyasaland Upland seed; the results of these experiments have 

 been eminently satisfactory, and a small sample which has 

 recently been received from Northern Nigeria has been very 

 favourably reported on by Liverpool brokers. If these 

 experiments prove successful, there is reason to believe that 

 it may revolutionize the cotton-growing industry in West 

 Africa, as this class of cotton is very hardy and realizes 

 a cousideraMy higher price than Middling .American. 



The purchases of cotton in Lagos during 1910 amount 

 to 5,626 bales, as compared with 11,875 bales in 1909 and 

 .5,225 bales in 1908. 



Considerable progress is being made with the extension 

 of the Northern Nigerian i;ailv\a3'; the l>aro-Kano section i.s 

 now opened for traffic a distance of about 111 miles, 

 and lines have been laid down to a distance of 210 

 miles, with the exception of a bridge which is under con- 

 struction at mile 200. 



NYASAr.AND. Very satisfactory reports continue to be 

 received fr<ini this Protectorate, both in regard to native culti- 

 vation and also as to cotton cultivated by European planters. 



The principal drawback to the developmentiiof cotton- 

 growing in Nyasaland is the difficulty of transport, but it is 

 hoped that arrangements may be made for the railway to be 

 extended to Lake Nyasa, and also in a southerly direction 

 from Port llciald to some navigable point on the Zambesi 

 river. 



lio.-\Nii,\. A report has been received stating that the 

 output of cotton in this Protectorate for the twelve months to 

 March 31 next will be between 10.000 and 12,000 bales of 

 400 fc. each, as compared with 6,000 bales for the correspond- 

 ing period of last year. 



SUDAN. Arrangements have been made for the Union 

 Castle -Mail Steamship Company to run a direct service of 

 steamers to JSritish East Africa, through the Suez Canal, by 

 which means the cotton from the eastern side of Africa will 

 reach Liverpool much more expeditiously than previously, 

 and satisfaction was expressed that the Steamship Conqiany 

 had also consented to make Port Sudan a port of call for 

 their steamers. It was mentioned that the scheme for 

 developing cotton-growing in the Sudan was proceeding 

 favourably, and .Mr. Macgillivray is at present in the Sudan 

 making the necessary arrangements. 



