166 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



May 27, 1911. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



The article entitled The Cotton Market and Cotton 

 Planting, which .appeared in the Agricidtural A'cws 

 for April 29, p. l-^i, was subsequently submiited, with 

 correspondence on the ."subject, to the British Cotton 

 Growinff Association and Messrs. Wolstenholme and 

 Holland, for criticism and suggestions 



A telegram has now (May 25) been received from 

 Manchester, strongly advising that there should be no 

 reduction in acreage in respect of cotton planting for 

 the coming season. 



Messrs. Wolstenholme and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date May 8, with reference 

 to the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



At the present reduced level of prices there ha.s been 

 more disposition to purchase Sea Island growths, and some 

 business is passing in medium (jualities at about 16rf., with 

 occasional sales of superior cotton from \7(L to ISrf. 



There is still, however, a considerable stock of unsold 

 cotton in Charleston, which acts as a drag upon the market, 

 particularly as spinners are afraid of too extensive a cultiva- 

 tion of the new grov^th of fine cotton which is being cultiva- 

 ted in Egypt, and which they are afraid may flood the market 

 next season. 



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

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending May 6, is generally as follows: — 



There whs some demand this week, taking about 200 

 bales of odd bags of Fully Fine and several crop lots of 

 Fully Fine and extra Fine, running the sales up to about 

 300 bales. There is some inquiry for the remaining crop 

 lots, which may result in further sales, and also for the odd 

 bags of Fully Fine. The slightly off, and the off and stained 

 cotton of the crop of which the stock is now largely compo.sed, 

 continue to be neglected, but Factors are refusing to further 

 lower their asking prices, hoping in time there will be some 

 demand for them. 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BRITISH 



COTTON GROWING ASSOCIATION. 



1910. 



A copy of the Sixth Annual lleiiort of the British 

 Cotton Growing Association, for the twelve months ending 

 December 31, 1910, has just been received, and it is the 

 purpose of this article to draw attention to some of the 

 points presented that are of more general interest. 



After giving an account of changes that have taken 

 place in connexion with the personnel of the Association, the 

 Council of the As.?ociation records its thanks to His Majesty's 

 Goveinment and to the officials of Government Depart- 

 ments, both at home and in the colonics, for the great 

 assistance rendered in many ways, and draws attention to 

 the usefulness of the conferences that have been held at 

 the Colonial Office. Further, acknowledgement is given of 

 the indebtedness of the Association for the support and assist- 

 ance of the President of the Association, the llight Honour- 

 able the Earl of Derhy, G.C.V.O. 



Reference is made to the promise of His Majesty's 

 Government, in 1909, to effect a grant in aid of £10,000 per 

 annum for a period of three years to a.ssist in the pioneering 

 and missionary work of the Association, (.u condition that 

 the latter should raise additional capital to the amount of 

 £lo0.000, and establish and maintain seven pioneer ginning 

 and liuying stations in West and East Africa, at the same 

 time supplying, free of charge, seed for sowing. It is now 

 known that the attempt to raise the capital required has 

 failed, so that other arrangements may have to be made in 

 relation to the matter. 



No new work was undertaken in 1909, owing to the 

 inadequacy of the funds at the disposal of the Council, so 

 that no large residts were expected for 1910. Satisfactory 

 progress has been made, nevertheless, and particulars are 

 given in the report of schemes which were under considera- 

 tion provided that the additional capital necessary to 

 gain the Government Grant was obtained. In relation 

 to such matters, it is pointed out that several subsidiary 

 companies have been formed already, with the assistance 

 of the xVssociation. These arc: The Ihltish Cotton Ginning 

 Comjjany, Ltd., and the British East Africa Corporation, 

 Ltd., each with a capital of .£100,000; the East .\frican Cot- 

 ton Syndicate (1911), Ltd., with a capital of £3.5,000; and 

 the Rhodesia Cotton Company, Ltd., and Ernest Tliorne, Ltd., 

 Barbados, with a capital of "£30,000 and £10,000. respec- 

 tively. The total amount of the capital of these companies 

 is £27.5,000. A large number of other cotton-growing com- 

 panies of a similar nature has l)een floated separately, and it 

 is proposed Ky the Association to assist in the formation of 

 additional companies as the occasion arises. Matters of this 

 kind have relation to a propo.sal that a large company should 

 be formed with a Government guarantee, the |)lan lieing for 

 the capital to be raised on a commercial liasis while the 

 Government would provide capital for railways an<l other 

 means of transport, and the funds for experimental and .scien- 

 tific work. The opinion is given, however, that the Govern- 

 ment should only bo ajiproached if success was obtained in 

 raising the additional capital of £150,000 already mentioned. 



