Vol. X. No. 24 S. 



THE AQBICDLTUBAL NEWS. 



343 



in the United States for .supplying to England. In .sight of 

 the fact that the fine spinning industry was increasing daily 

 in importance, this circumstance was of a serious nature, and 

 in view of the position, the visit of Dr. Watts and Professor 

 Carmody was particularly appropriate. Mr. Mutton referred 

 to the exiierinientation with cotton that had been conducted 

 in the West Indies, and emphasized the importance of the 

 assembling of a committee for the purpose of the dissemina- 

 tion of useful agricultural information among the British 

 Colonies. 



In reply, 1 'r. Watts made acknowledgement of the great 

 assistance that has been rendered by the British Cotton Grow- 

 ing Association in relation to cotton, to the Imperial Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture He had been as.sociated with the new 

 cotton-growing movement since its inception in the West 

 Indies, and at every stage of this the British Cotton Growing 

 Association had been brought into consultation; in this con- 

 nexion he mentioned the courtesy of Mr. Wolstenholme in 

 replying to the many questions that had been addressed to 

 him by planters arid others during the lime. Dr. Watts 

 made reference td the fact that certain islands in the West 

 Indies are now entirely dependent on cotton, and hoped that, 

 Other things being equal, British consumers would give 

 a preference to the production of British territory — a state- 

 ment that was received by the meeting with acclamation. 

 Finally Dr. Watts referred to the Agricultural Conference to 

 be held next year in Trinidad, and expressed the hope that 

 among the delegates to this Conference, one at least would 

 te received from the British Cotton Growing Association. 



In turn, in his reply, Professor Carmody also made 

 reference to the u.<;efulness of the support of the British 

 Cotton Growing Association in connexion with the dissemi- 

 nation of information, alluding to the responsibility accepted 

 l:)y those who handed on that information. He also referred 

 to the idea of forming a central department which should 

 distribute information concerning agricultural work through- 

 out the British lOmpire. 



The Chairman invited Sir Charles Macara to make 

 observations on the matters that had come up for discussion, 

 and in accepting the invitation, this speaker drew attention to 

 the large part that had been taken in the past by the West 

 Indies in cotton production for England, and said that it was 

 pleasant to find that these islands realized fully the value of 

 the cotton-growing facilities possessed by them. The I^an- 

 cashire cotton spinners were using tiner counts every year, and 

 the supply of cotton for these was of the greatest importance 

 to Lancashire. Beferring to the Agricultural Conference, Sir 

 Charles gave attention to a suggestion that a representative 

 of the operatives, as well as of the eniployeis, might be 

 provided, and the Chairman stated that the Association 

 would be pleased to pay the expenses of such a: representative. 



After a vote of thanks had been given to the Chairman, 

 the piroceedings concluded. 



Sakellarides Cotton.— The TcjiIU- Meram/ (for 



Septemlier 9, 1911) states that the discoverer of this cotton, 

 after whom it is named, has so far made over £100,000 by 

 his enterprise. During the present year it has been culti- 

 vated on a large scale in the districts of Ziftna and, Santa, and 

 has appeared to show immunity to attacks of the. cotton, worm. 

 This pest has cost the Egyptian Goveinment, this year, 

 nearly £.30,000 for control, and private individuals about 

 £100',000, the total of which sums is very sniall in comparison 

 ?i-ith the value of the crop, which is estimated at 

 .£31,-2.50,000. • 



INDIA AND THE WORLD'S COTTON 

 SUPPLY. 



The following is an abstract of a paper read by 

 Mr. J. Howard Reed, BMl.(J,S.. before the Section of 

 Economic Science and Statistics of the British Associa- 

 tion at Portsmouth, 1911. It is taken from the Journal 

 of the Rorjal Society of Arts for September 22, 1911. 



In giving this, attention is drawn to an abstract 

 of another paper, on cotton-growing within the Empire, 

 by the same authority, which was specially prepared 

 for the AgricHltural News, and appeared in the issue 

 for June 24, 1911:— 



Shortage of raw cotton has become an almost chronie 

 condition with which the cotton manufacturer has to contend. 

 It has produced abnormally inflated prices, given an oppor- 

 tunity to cotton gamblers, caused loss and embarrassment to 

 manufacturers, and produced distress among cotton opera- 

 tives. ' Shortage " has not been produced by a falling off 

 of the world's output of raw fibre, nor by an increased 

 demand by Lancashire for cotton, but by an enormous 

 growth in the manufacture of cotton goods on the Conti- 

 nent of Europe, and in the United States of America. 

 In eighteen years prior to 1910 Britain's demand for raw 

 cotton has fallen 4 per cent., while during the same period 

 Europe's recjuirements have increased 70 per cent., and this 

 on a tigure much larger than ours. America, during the 

 same time, has increased her demand 90 per cent, and her 

 total consumption of fibre now exceeds that of Britain by no 

 less than 54 per cent. Thirty years ago the total American 

 crop of cotton was less than 7 million bales, but supple- 

 mented by the small crops of other countries, was sufficient 

 to supply the world's demand,? and leave a surplus each 

 season, keeping the price reasonable and fairly regular. Now, 

 with an American crop nearly double the figure just quoted, 

 and with increased supplies from other fields, and with the 

 demand of Lancashire stationary, the price of raw filire has 

 doubled, and 'shortage' has become rampant, notwithstand- 

 ing the restricted time worked in the mills. The difficulty 

 apparently gets worse month by month, and unless measures' 

 of amelioration are successfully pressed, the cotton industry 

 of Lancashire must decline, and ultimately be starved out of 

 existence. India at present produces almost half the weight 

 of cotton grown in the American fields, and has, roughly, 

 20,000,000 acres under cotton crops. Indian fibre is 

 however, of short staple and, therefore, very little used 

 in Lancashire. Britain consumed only •'<7,592 bales during 

 the year ending August 31, 19I(->. Many experts 

 believe that with properly directed effort the crop of 

 Indian cotton may be doubled in the course of a few 

 years. If this can be done, even if the staple is not 

 improved, it will take the place Of much long-fibred 

 cotton now used throughout the world, and set free for Lan- 

 cashire a proportionate amount of better material. The culti- 

 vation of cotton in India is very primitive. The lands are 

 poorly tilled, inadequately nianured, and meagrely watered; 

 >vhile the native farmer is not onjy very unprogrcssive, but 

 is harried by unscruplilous money lenders, crippled by poor 

 .seed, and handicapped by insect pests. With selected seed, 

 longer stapled cotton can be grown, but the native ryot finds 

 it gives a lighter crop, and as he can, iiiider present condi- 

 tions, only obt.ain the .s'ame prico as for the shorter stapled 

 cotton, he naturally soon reverts to the cultivation of short 

 stapled fibre. 



