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THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS, 



July 28, 1917. 



COTTON. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



The Report of Messrs. Henry \V. Frost & Co., od 

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the 

 week ending June 30, 1917, is as follows: — 



ISLANDS. The luarkei is closed for the season as the 

 crop has all been marketed and sold. 



The new crop (1917-18) will not be marketed much, it 

 any, before October. 



KEOEfiiAS AND FL0Kii>As. The receipts since our last 

 circular of June 2 have been 167 bales, and .sales 283 bales. 



The market has remained dull with limited demand, 

 the above sales consisting iarpely of cotton held by exporters 

 which they succeedefi in placing either on forward sales or 

 on small orders from spinners. 



The stock left in Factors' hands is very small, amounting 

 to less than .300 bales, consisting principally of the lower 

 grades, and is held Ic. to 2c. above the official quotations, 

 yet with actual offer one may buy at .some concession. The 

 larger portion of the stock is either held to cover forward 

 sales or on speculation, and kept off the market expecting 

 a further advance. 



However, with the new crop coming to market very 

 -soon, and with the stock held by spinners as reported by the 

 U.S. Census Bureau, we do not see how the present prices 

 will be maintained. The following Exchange quotations are 

 based on small sales made, viz: 



GEORGIAS AND FLORIDAS. 



Extra Choice A Fancy 70c. = 72ic. landed. 



Choice ct Extra Choice 69c. = 71 Jc. „ 



Extra Fine it Choice 67c. = 69ic. „ 



The exports from Savannah since June 2 were 283 

 bales, to Northern Mills, and from Jacksonville 1,277 bales, 

 also to Northern Mills. 



CEOi" advices; 



ISLANDS. As previously reported, there has been some 

 increase in acreage, and in consequence estimates for the 

 coming crop range around 8,000 bales to 10,000 bales, 

 depending on weather conditions. At present the plant is 

 reported in some locations to have an unhealthy appearance, 

 attributed to unseasonable cool nights and lack of rain. The 

 expectation is that the outlook will improve from now on. 



GEORGIA AND FLORIDA. There has been an increase in 

 acreage, ranging from 10 per cent, to 30 per cent. The 

 quantity of fertilizers used is about the same as last year, 

 but the grade is Inwer on account of absence of potash. 

 The condition of the crop, taken as a whole, is fair, but is 

 two or three weeks late on account of the cool spring having 

 retarded the growth This is unfortunate, as the boll 

 weevil has already made its appearance in some sections, 

 rendering planters most apprehensive. The final outturn is of 

 course dependent on weather conditions during the next 

 three months, and should these conditions be favourable, it is 

 conservative to estimate on a crop fully as large as last 

 year. 



THE ANTIGUA COTTON GROWERS' 

 ASSOCIATION. 



The Committee of Management of the Antigua Cotton 

 Growers' Association have issued their first report for the 

 year 1916-17, which is of interest, indicating as it does 

 the useful work being done by co-operative effort in that 

 island. 



It will be remembered that the Association was formed 

 in ilay, 1916, as the direct outcome of a resolution pas.sed at 

 the Cotton Conference held in St. Kitts in March of last year. 

 The lesolutioi', which explains the main scope of the objects 

 of the A.ssociatioei, was as follows; — 



' Re.iolved — That, in view of the necessity of taking all 

 precautions to maintain the quality of the cotton produced 

 in West Indian Lsland.s, to safeguard the supply of seed, and 

 generally to secure the safety of the industry and also the 

 interests of the growers, it is desirable that a Cotton Growers' 

 Association should be formed in Antigua. And further, that 

 the Delegates of the Cotton Conference are requested to 

 bring this Resolution to the notice of the other cotton-growing 

 islands, with a view to secure similar action, if possible.' 



Antigua, up to the present, has been the only island to 

 take co-operative action in the matter. 



From the report it appears that the Association early in 

 the .season took \x\) the question of supplying pedigree cotton 

 seed to planters. Seed was obtained from \'eptons estate, 

 and, after selection, distributed to growers. In this manner 

 pea.sants and others had a good strain to plant, as the cotton 

 grown on the estate mentioned had been subjected to selection 

 by officers of the Agricultural Department for some years 

 previously. It was felt that, in some cases, it might be 

 well if small growers were allowed to have seed on the 

 understanding that it would be paid for, when their crops 

 were reaped. After selection, 1,314 fc. of seeds were sent 

 out for planting purposes, this quantity being distributed 

 among thirty-five persons. 



At the commencement of the season arrangements were 

 made to purchase clean seed-cotton at 5c. per BE)., but, 

 owing to an advance in the market price, this was increased 

 to 8c. per lb. for clean seed-cotton, and -Ic. per fc. for 

 stained. The purchases were made under an agreement that 

 the Association should retain all seed and 25 per cent, of any 

 profit made when the hnt was sold. A total of 7,249 lb of 

 seed-cotton was purchased, and the sum spent in purchasing 

 cotton was £115 16s. 9(/. 



The clean lint after ginning was sold locally for 

 2s. 8jc?. per lb , and the stained lint for Is. per lb. When 

 distributing second payments, this fact and the difference in 

 the amounts originally paid for stained and clean seed- 

 cotton were taken into consideration. The growers 

 obtained for the second payment 5',c. and l.^c. for each lb. 

 of clean and stained seed-cotton, respectively, sold to the 

 Association. The sum of £lb 16s. \d. was paid out to 

 growers in this way, and it is gratifying that the recipients 

 expressed their satisfaction at the manner in which they had 

 been treated. 



The report concludes by saying that the Association will 

 eventually give to the small grower of cotton a sense of secur- 

 ity, for he will grow to realize he is obtaining a reasonable 

 price for his produce, and this factor, together with the fact 

 that the Association is doing invaluable work by placing at 

 the disposal of the small growers cotton seed of a known and 

 good strain, will have the effect of improving the cotton now 

 grown in Antigua, and of placing on a firm basis the peasants' 

 cotton industry. 



