182 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



June 16, 1917. 



COTTON. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



The Report of Messrs. Henry W. Frost A;: Co., on 

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the 

 week ending May 19, 1917, is as follows: — 



X. B.— By official recount of the Cotton Exchange the 

 stock in Sav.annah was inci eased 1,102 bales, which was 

 largely cotton held by exporters for shipment on contracts 

 later on, leaving the unsold stock in Factors' hands unclianged. 



ISLANDS. The market is closed for this season, as the 

 crop has all been marketed and sold. The new crop (191718) 

 will not come to market before (October. 



ijEORGi.\.s AND FLOEiDAs. Duiing the past fortnight 

 the market in Savannah, and in all the interior towns has 

 been quiet, but very firmly held with limited offerings. The 

 unsold portion of the crop is now estimated at about I', 000 

 bales, which is firmly held on a basis of Extra Choice to 

 Fancy at 70c. As the trade has seemingly supplied its 

 urgent requirements, there is at present apparently little 

 demand. Such inquiry in the market has not recently 

 resulted in any sales. Consequently the quotations represent 

 the views of .sellers. 



We quote: — , 



GEORGIAS AND FLOKIDAS. 



ILvtra Choice i Fancy 70c = 72Ac. landed, including war ri.sk. 

 Choice A- Extra Choice 69c. = 71 ?,c. ,, „ ,, „ 



Extra Fine tt Choice 67c. = 69Ac. „ „ ,, „ 



The exports from Savannah for the past fortnight were, 

 to Northern Mills 6:30 bales, Southern Mills 62 bales, and 

 from .lacksonville to Northern Mills l^^I bales. 



THE GROWING CROP has been retarded in i ,s growth by 

 unseasonably cool weather during the pa?t fortnight. In 

 some instances replanting ha.s been necessary, and in a few 

 instances some of the increased acreajie has been repltnted 

 in corn. However, the increased acreage in Carolina is 

 estimated at about lO per cent., and in Georgia and Florida 

 20 per cent. The final out turn is dependent on weather 

 conditions from now on. which has become normal and pro- 

 mises to continue so. On account of the increased acreage 

 the crop will exceed the last, and is now estimated at 1-3.5,000 

 bales to 1 40,000 bales. 



Our next circular will be issued on June 2. 



BRITISH COTTON GROWING 

 ASSOCIATION. 



The one hundred and fiityeighth meeting of the Council 

 of the Briti.sh Cotton (Jrowiog .Association was held at the 

 Offices, 1.5, Cross Street, Manchester, on Tuesday the :Jrd 

 inst. In the absence of the President (The Rt Hon. the 

 Earl of Derby, K.(i.), Mr. .J. Arthur Hutton occupied the 

 (Jhair 



Reference w^is made t'l the lo.ss which the Association 

 liave sustained through the death of Mr. William Marsland, 

 who has been a valuable member of the Council for many 



years, and it was decided that a letter be sent expressing 

 the deepest sympathy with his widow and family. 



DEPUTATION To THE BOARD OF TRADE. It was reported 

 that up to the present, no reply has been received to the 

 representations made by the Deputation on February 8, 

 beyond a letter to the etiect that a Committee was in course 

 of being appointed to enquire into the possibilities of devel- 

 oping cotton growing within the Empire The opinion was 

 expressed that some of the propositions submitted by the 

 Deputation, especially the one relating to the construction 

 of irrigation works in the Sudan, would not admit of any 

 delay, and it was decide 1 to convene a meeting of repre- 

 sentatives of the various organizations who attended the 

 Deputation, for Friday April 1.3 at ll'45am,to consider 

 what steps should be taken. 



WEST AFRICA. On account of the damage caused by 

 heavy storms of wind and rain early in February, the pros- 

 pects for a big crop of cotton in Lagos are not so good as they 

 were towards the end of 1916. At the same time the 

 Association's Manager does not consider that the results will 

 prove altogether disappointing, and he hopes that the pur- 

 chases in Lagos this year will reach 10,000 bales or more. 

 The unfavourable climatic conditions also appear to have 

 affected the crop in Northern Nigeria, and the most recent 

 reports state that the new crop is very late this season, and 

 it is doubtful whether the crop in Northern Nigeria will 

 amount to more than 10,000 bales. It is expected that the 

 total crop in Nigeria will reach 20 000 bales this year, or 

 about the same as for 1916, and in view of the present 

 difficulties of transport it is doubtful whether it would have 

 been possible to deal with a larger quantity. 



The purchases of cotton to date in Nigeria amount 

 to 6,316 bales, as compared with 11,003 bales for the 

 .same period of last year, and 1,860 bales for 1915. 



UGANDA It is expected that a considerable portion of 

 this season's cotton crop will be shipped to India, as under 

 present conditions the cost of bringing the cotton from 

 Momba.sa to Liverpool, due to heavy freights and war risks, 

 works out at about Irf. per lb. more than the cost of sending 

 it to Bombay. The statistics of cotton produced in the 

 Kast African and Uganda Protectorates and countries to 

 which the same was exported during the quarter ending 

 September 30 last showed that 1,-155,4-19 lb. of lint was 

 exported to the I'nited Kiugdoni, and 1,403,092 ft), to India 

 and Burraah It is anticipated that the figures for the 

 quarter ending Dftember 31, 1916, will show even a larger 

 proportion of shipments to India. 



SUDAN. The reports to the end of January were dis- 

 aiipointinff, but belter accounts have r< cently been received, 

 which indicate a considerable improvenient on what had been 

 anticipated from previous advices. 



NYASALAND. The Director of Awricultutc reports that 

 there are heavy calls on the natives for porterage but the 

 cotton interests are not being neglected, in fact some 

 improvement of cotton cultivation is possible, and a consider 

 able imi)rovenient is hoped for in Fort Johnston, but as yet 

 it is too early to give estimates. The Director of Agriculture 

 states that everything practicable and possible is still being 

 done in relation to cotton cultivation in Nyasaland, and 

 although the conditions are difficult, especially transport, he 

 has still a high opinion of the possibilities of the Protector- 

 ate. 



WEST INDIES. It was decided that a cablegram be sent 

 to Sir Francis Watts, the Commissioner of Agriculture for 

 the West Indies, congratulating him on the honour recently 

 conferred upon him. 



GENERAL. statement was submitted showing that 

 4,996 bales of cotton had been sold during the month. 



