THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



March 10, 1917. 



COTTON. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



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

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending Febrnarj- 3, 1917, is as follows: — 



ISL.\NDS. There continues an absence of demand, con- 

 sequently the market is dull and nominally unchanged. 



The unsettled condition of the trade generally renders 

 holders of cotton somewhat anxious, and there is more 

 disposition to -^ell; consequently, with orders in hand at Ic. to 

 •2c. below the following quotations, it is likely orders could 

 be executed. 



We quote viz: — 

 Fully Fine 



landed. 



■D-Sc. = O-DC. 



Fine oOc. = bic. „ 



Fine, slightly off 4sc. = 50c. 



GEOR.;iAS AND KLoi;ii>As. Xothwithstanding the de- 

 moralized condition of the Upland market in consequence 

 of the war news, resulting in an unprecedented decline, there is 

 a good deal of inquiry for Extra Choice to Fancy Georgias, 

 ■with some orders seeking execution on account of the Northern 

 Mills, on a basis of Fancy 48o., at which some small lots have 

 been sold. This demand is apparently caused by the difficulty 

 of getting Kgyptian cotton, and the impression is that the 

 buying will become more treneral. Although Factors are 

 holding Ic. higher, we can buy occasionally at the following 

 quotations, viz.: — 



GEORGIAS .\SD FLOBIDAS. 



Extra Choice to Fancy 



Extra Choice 



Choice 



4SAc. = -aOc. landed. 

 48c. = 49ic. 

 47c.=:48k. 



The exports troni Savannah for the week were, 

 to Northern Mills, 1.129 bales. Southern Mills, 100 

 bales, and from Jacksonville to Northern Mills, 167 

 bales. 



Labour Conditions in Porto Rico.— The 



Louisiana Planter for February -3 publishes the following 

 note concerning labour trouble in Port Rico: — 



Although sugar men in general in Porto Kico had not 

 anticipated any labour trouble- during the present grinding 

 season such as have been the ra>e for the past two or three 

 years, it has now been annoumed by Santiago Iglesias, the 

 leader of the Federation of Labour of Porto Rico, that unless 

 a minimum wage of one dollar a day and an eight-hour 

 working day are granted by the centrals before February, 

 here will be a general strike of sugar-<'ane labourers. 



TRADE AND AGRICULTURE OP 



JAMAICA, 1915-16. 



The Report on the Blue Book of .Jamaica for the year 

 191.5-16, is issued as a supplement to the Jamaica Gazette of 

 December 2S, 1916. 



The total values of imports and exports for the year 

 were, respectively, .£2,327,4.58 and £2,228,664. This is a de- 

 crease on the imports and exports for the year 1914, the simi- 

 lar figures in the latter case being £2,56.5,820 and £2,904.533, 

 respectively. The most direct eau.se of the decrease in imports 

 in 1915-16 was the shortage of tonnage brought about by the 

 European war: in the case of the exports, the importance 

 of this factor is probably reversed, as to the scarcity of fruit 

 is to be attributed the greater portion of the decline in the 

 value of exports, comparison with 1914 .showing a falling off on 

 this item alone of £7(.)!^,982. Against this falling off, however, 

 due in great part to the effects of the hurricanes experienced 

 in August and September, there was an increase in the 

 output of the products of the sugar-cane of £220,362; in 

 dye-wood and extract of £131,758; cacao, £77 058; lime 

 juice, £12,690; and annatto, £6,851. 



As regards agriculture, the year was one of favour- 

 able seasons, and but for the hurricanes and storms 

 in August and September, already referred to, very 

 large crops would have been obtained. The banana 

 industry suffered severely from the hurricane, while the 

 scarcity of ships occasioned anxiety as to the immediate 

 prospects of the fruit trade. The exports of cacao showed 

 a gain of one-third in value over the previous year, which were 

 tlie greatest on record. The demand bj' the public for plants 

 of all sorts was bri^k, and the various nnrserie', despite 

 retrenchment in the ir upkfep, established a record in the dis- 

 tribution of plants for the year, 127,000 cacao plants alone 

 being issued to the public. 



The sugar industry enjoyed a successful revival, and 

 owing to the high values now ruling for both sugar and rum, 

 the planters have realized a large sum for their produce, and 

 are hopeful as to the future. A good deal of planting of 

 sugar-cane has been undertaken, and scheuies for the 

 extension of sugar enterprises are being actively pursued. 

 While the storms damaged the coco nut trees somewhat, the 

 actual loss of palms was small, and the trade in coco- nuts has 

 been both brisk and profitable. Some 600 tons of copra 

 were exported during the j'ear, and this would appear to 

 be a new industry that will figure more largely in the 

 exports of the Colony in the future. ( )wing to the blockade 

 of Germany, logwood has been in strong demand, and high 

 prices have ruled for wood both for export and for use in 

 the local dye factories. 



The Government Stock Farm at Hope has had a success- 

 ful! year. The attendance at the Farm .School has fallen off 

 slightly, due to war conditions. It had been decided by the 

 end of the year to convert the station at Lititz into a sisal 

 hemp plantation, as the land proved to be suitable for stock 

 rearing or general I'ultivatinn. Preparations for planting 

 about 600 acres in sisal and heneqnen have been made 

 .^l this station. 



Tilled lands in 1915-16 comprised 278,262 acrfs as 

 compared with 271,382 acres for the period 1911-1.5. Lands 

 subject to tillage are further cla,ssified under the particular 

 crops which they produce; the following figures give the 

 acreage under each classification for 191.5-16: canes 33,830 

 acres, coffee IS,3S3, coco-nuts 30,072, banana 89.477, cac»o 

 11,432, ground provisions 64,082, mixed cultivation 28,103 

 and minor itein~ 2,>83 acres. 



