246 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



August 11, 1917. 



COTTON. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



Messrs. Wolstenhohne and Holland of Liverpool, 

 •write as follows, under date June ■2(), 1917, with 

 reference to the sales of West Indian Sea Island 



cotton: — 



All Sea Island cotton continues to be in demand, and 

 prices remain very firn at full official quotations. 



BRITISH COTTON GROWING ASSOCIA- 

 TION, 



The one hundred and sixtieth meeting of the Council 

 ■was held at the offices, 1.5, Cross Street, Manchester, on 

 Tuesday, -June 5, 1917. 



A telegram was read from the President (The Right Hon. 

 the Earl of Derby, K.G.) regretting his inability to be 

 present at the meeting owing to important business in 

 London In the absence of the President and of Mr. J. 

 Arthur Hutton, Mr. Joseph Hilton occupied the Chair. 



It was reported that nothing further had been heard 

 from the Board of I'rade with reference to the Committee to 

 he appointed to inquire into the future of the cotton-growing 

 movement in the colonies. It is expected that a statement 

 ■would .shortly be made in the House of Commons, and it 

 was sugge.sted that if no further information regarding the 

 Committee was received within the next month, some action 

 should be taken in the matter. 



■\VKST AFRICA. Owing to shortage of tonnage there is 

 little prospect of .shipping cotton seed from West Africa for 

 some time, and arrangements have been made for the 

 Association's oil mill at Ibadan to be kept working this year 

 at its fullest capacity. Cotton is now coming forward more 

 rapidly from West Africa, and about 5,000 bales of the new 

 crop have .ilready been shipped. 



The quality of the new cotton crop is quite satisfactory. 

 The Government Agricultural Department are taking steps to 

 establish in Northern Nigeria a new variety of cotton which 

 gives a much higher percentage of lint than the native type, 

 and the opinion was oxpressd that if the whole of the cotton 

 from Nigeria was of the same quality there would be a great 

 future for the industry. There are 14f< tons of seed of this 

 variety available for di.>-tiibution for the coming season, which 

 at a low estimate, .should produce over 2,000 bales. 



The purchases of cotton in Lagos to June 2 amounted to 

 6,749 bales as compared with s,019 bales for the same period 

 of last year, and 3,430 bales for 1915. 



To the end of April ihe purchases in Northern Nigeria 

 were .3,413 bales as against 9,0 1 7 bales for the same period of 

 last year, and 282 bales forl91-"). The failure of the crop 

 was entirely due to adverse cUmatic conditions, the Har- 

 iraitan winds commenciDg the day after the rain.s ceased. 



UGANDA. The Association's manager reports that the 

 crop generally is below expectations this year, the rainfall 

 having been abnormal, and will not exceed 25,000 against an 

 estimated production of 40,000 bales. 



.SUDAN. It was reported that last sea.son's crop at Tokar 

 was the largest on record and is expected to yield 70,000 

 kantars. The Tokar crop could probably be increased by 50 

 per cent, if the floods were controlled, for which an estimated 

 expenditure of £100,000 is required. 



NYASAL.\su. It has been reported that cotton cannot 

 be shipped from Nyasaland in consequence of the lack of 

 shipping facilities, and representations have been made to the 

 Government that it would be a great misfortune if the 

 Association were unable to take cotton off the hands of the 

 natives who had been encouraged to grow it along with their 

 food stuffs. 



At the one hundred and sixty-first meeting of the 

 Council held on Tuesday, July 3, 1917, Mr. J. Arthur Hutton, 

 in the absence of the President, occupied the Chair. 



WEST AFRICA. The purchases of cotton in Lagos to 

 June 30 amounted to 7,299 bales as compared with, 8,420 

 bales for the same period in last year, while the purchases in 

 Northern Nigeria to May 31 were only 3,427 bales as com- 

 pared with 10,092 bales for the corresponding period in 1916. 



UGANDA. The percentage of lint to seed-cotton in the 

 late crop was lower than in previous years being a yield, in 

 some districts, of 28 per cent, as against -30 per cent, 

 formerly. This is a matter which requires careful watchi ig, 

 but it is considered that this reduced percentage may be 

 mainly due to unfavourable weather. 



Advices have been received that cotton cannot be shipped 

 from L'ganda, as it is not included in the priority list. This 

 is a very serious matter because if the past season's cotton 

 cannot be shipped, it will not be possible to arrange for the 

 purchase of next year's crop. 



NVASALAND. The crop prospects are good all over the 

 country, but, unfortunaiely, the difficulties as regards shipping 

 which exists in L'ganda apply equally to Nyasiland. 



GENERAL. It was reported that 5,850 bales of the 

 Association's cotion has been sold during the month. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



On Friday, .July 20, the Antigua Agricultural and 

 Commercial Society entertained Sir Francis Watts, 

 K.C.M.G., at an 'At Home' on the grounds of the 

 Industrial School to which not only the members of 

 the Society but also their friends were invited. 



With the approval of the Secretary of State for 

 the Colonies, Mr. W. R. Dunlop, Scientific Assistant 

 on the Staff' of the Imperial Department of Agricul- 

 ture, has proceeded to England, on leave, with a view 

 to taking up active service in His Majesty's Forces. 



During Mr. 1 »unlop's absence on leave Mr. F. H. 

 Watkins, I.S.O., will perform the duties of Scientific 



Assistant. 



