118 



THE AQRICDLTURAL NEWS. 



Apeil 15, 1911. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholme and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date March 27, with reference 

 bo the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



Since our last report, about -50 bags of West Indian Sea 

 Islands are reported as sold at 18rf. to ISJo'.; these represent- 

 ing very small lots of selected bales from various islands. 



There is great pressure to sell all Sea Island growths, 

 and buyers having such a large selection, have only purchased 

 such bags as are suitable for their immediate requirements. 



There is an unsold stock of between seven and eight 

 thousand bales in Charleston, which has been pressed for 

 sale throughout the season at gradually lower prices, without 

 finding buyers. We notice, however, that a meeting has been 

 held with a view to reducing the production of long stapled 

 cotton in the States, substituting Uplands, and to hold the 

 balance of the stocks for better prices. 



Meanwhile, the demand for lace is still poor, with the 

 result that many mills are using other descriptions of cotton 

 and the normal consumption is very much curtailed. 



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

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending March 2-5, is as follows: — 



There was some demand for planters' crop lots during 

 the week. The owners being discouraged, lowered their 

 prices to meet the views of buyers and accepted the offers 

 made them, resulting in sales of 299 bales, prices ranging 

 from 32c. to 40c. The buying was for England, France, and 

 the North. 



In the absence of any demand for the odd bags the 

 market remains nominally unchanged, but as Factors to effect 

 sales would accept some decline from their asking prices, we 

 quote, viz; — 



Extra Fine Islands at 32c. = 18d. c.i.f. & 5 per cent. 



Fully Fine „ 30c. = 17d „ „ „ „ 



Fine „ 29c. = I6hd. „ ,, „ „ 



Off Grades „ 2.3c. to 25c. 



= I3d. to Hd. „ ,, ,, „ 



According to the Bulletin af Ac/ricultural Statistics oi 

 the International Institute of .\griculture, Rome, the area of 

 cotton planted in Egypt, in 1909-10, is estimated at 

 1,725,083 acres. The area in 1908-9 was 1,077,240 acres; so 

 that there has been an increase of nearly 3 per cent. Simil- 

 arly, as far as reports have been received, the figures for 

 British India are 21,516,888 acres and 20,546,645 acres, 

 giving an increa.se of 4' 7 percent. The estimated output of 

 British India is placed at 4,668,000 bales of 400 lb. — a decrease 

 of 5 7 per cent, on the amount for the previous year. 



COTTON-GROWING IN ASIA, AFRICA 

 AND SOUTH AMERICA. 



Under the above title, the Textile ilercury for January 

 7, 1911, gives e.xcerpts taken from the reports of Consuls and 

 commercial agents that have been supplied to the United 

 States Bureau of Mauuf,icUues, dealing with cotton-growing 

 in certain parts of the world. The following is an abstract 

 of the matter presented in the journal to which reference has 

 been made: — 



INDIA: CAMBODIA COTTON. The area of this cotton in the 

 Tinnevelley district of the Madras Presidency has quickly 

 increased to about 17,000 acres The cotton itself is a variety 

 of acclimatized American cotton, which was introduced into 

 the country about four years ago. and has a greater yield than 

 any of the old kinds. It thrives on irrigated lands, and there 

 seems to be little doubt that in very few years its cultivation 

 will extend to the whole of South India, if not to other 

 parts of the country in addition. As its fibre compares 

 favourably with that of American upland, the opinion is given 

 that in a few years India may become a serious competitor 

 of the United States in regard to the provision of short staple 

 cotton. 



NORTH BORNEO. Attempts to grow Sea Island cotton 

 have not been successful. It appears however, that British 

 Borneo possesses strains of cotton that grow well in the 

 country, and yield a useful fibre. Large plantings have been 

 made of the silk cotton (kapok) tree {Eriodendron aiifractuo- 

 suin), but it is too early at present to determine the com- 

 mercial value of the fibre of this plant in British Borneo. 



ALGEEIA. Enquiries seem to indicate that this colony 

 can only produce cotton under the best market condition.s, 

 and even then the quantity would be limited. This is 

 because of the scarcity of water for irrigation, which is made 

 necessary by the low rainfall, and the employment of such 

 water for the growing of other products that are of greater 

 value. Well cultivated land under irrigation gives 880 to 

 1,750 ft), of unginned cotton; this must obtain a price of at 

 least 7Sd. per It), of lint, or it cannot be grown profitably. 

 The amount of cotton e.xported during 1909 was 40 tons, 

 valued at £1,700. 



Tim TRAN.s\AAL. Satisfactory progress is being made 

 with most of the cotton e.xperiments in the Transvaiil, and 

 increasing areas of the plant are being sown. The trials 

 that have been made show that almost the whole of the low 

 veldt, and many parts of the middle veldt, are suitable for 

 cotton-growing; but that this is not at all the case in regard 

 to the high veldt. A matter of further encouragement is 

 that the normal TransvajU climate appears to be well suited 

 to cotton, as the rainy seiuson from December to April is 

 available for its growth, while the dry season, during which 



