134 



THE AGEICTJLTUKAL NEWS, 



Mat ■"., 1917. 



CO'TTON. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



Messrs. Wolsteiiholme andj|;"Holland. of Liverpool, 

 ■write as follows, under dates March 20 and April ">. 

 1917, respectively, -with reference to the sales of West 

 Indian Sea Island cotton: — 



There has been a keen erquiry from spinners for West 

 Indian Sea Island cotton, and a clean quality from Nevis, 

 Montserrat, A nguilla, Antigua and St. Croix is worth 37d. 

 to 3M., Barbados 38rf. to .39rf , St. Kilts 39c/. to 40i/..arid the 

 Iwst ordinary St. Vincent is ncrainally worth 40(/. to 4\ld. 



There is no doubt that the consumption much exceeds 

 the possible supply. 



Sea Island cotton continues in demand and is dearer, 

 tlie official quotations being raised 2d. per lb. this week. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON PROSPECTS. 



Advices recently to hand, indicating u fuither advance 

 in the prices of West Indian Sea Island cotton to as much as 

 44c?. per Jb. for the highest grade will act as a further 

 stimulus for greater extension thi.^ season. It is reported on 

 another page in this i.ssue that no less than ■J,000 acres were 

 planted in Nevis by the beginning of April, which shows the 

 interest now existing in Sea Island cotton. In many places 

 the peasants are jjutting land ordinarily planted in ground 

 provisions under cotton, so attractive are the prospects in 

 regard to this crop. It is hoped that the early planted 

 cotton will not suffer from the diought that has existed now 

 for some months. .Fune is the usual month to plant cotton, 

 and in St. Vincent and Montserrat legislation exi.sts to 

 enforce a close season. It apjiears that the high price of 

 cotton is due primarily to the shortage in Egyptian Sakel, 

 but it is understood that very large ureas are now 

 being planted in Egypt which may tend to lower the 

 price of fine staple cottons ne.x;t year. However, the demand 

 ior this class of cotton will tend to increase chiefly on 

 account of increase:! activities in regard to aeroplane and 

 motor tire construction. 



There is no doubt that planters will he well advised 

 to grow as much cotton as possible this year. As already 

 intimated, it is clear that there will be a considerable increase 

 in the area planted this season in St. Kitts Nevis, and probably 

 in all the cotton growing islands. 



The following remarks, made by Mr. J. Hutton, Secre- 

 tary. British Cotton Growing Association, before the 

 members of the Manclit.ster Alhenieum Club on February 16 

 last, and reproduced in the West India Coinmittee Circvlar, 

 ma V be of interest, to readers of this .Journal. Iteferring to 

 the need for maintaining the West Indian supply, he said: — 



•He was sorry to :say that some of the consumers in 

 this covintry had shown a lack of foresight in the matter, 



They had not recognized that the day must come when they 

 would be also absolutely dependent on the West Indies for 

 their future supplies. The boll weevil was gradually but 

 steadily advancing over the cotton States of America, anti- 

 it was only a question of time before it reached the Atlantic. 

 When that day came we should probably see the disappear- 

 ance of the cultivation of Sea Island cotton in America. 

 One would have naturally thought that under these circum- 

 stances they would have erred on the generous side, and 

 would have given more than a preference to the cotton prown 

 by thtir fellow-countrymen on the other side of the Atlantic. 

 He regretted to say that frequently during recent years cotton 

 had been left on the Association's hands unsold for months 

 together. This naturally had been most di.scouraging to the- 

 planters, and the Association had been most unfairly blamed 

 for what had occurred. 



"When war broke out there was an immediate cessation 

 in the demand for luxuries, and consequently Sea Island 

 cotton was almost unsaleable. There had since been a big 

 rise in prices, but many of the planters were much dis- 

 couraged, and, attracted by the high price of sugar and other 

 products, reduced their acreage under cotton, and in some 

 cases abandoned it altogether for other crops. The total crop 

 last season was only 3,600 bales. 



'As regards the future, he was convinced that the 

 demand for this type of cottar, was bound to increase. He 

 could also confidently say that the West Indies could 

 produce all the Sea Island cotton we required, but this 

 depended entirely on the price, and whether the industry was 

 sufficiently remunerative to the planters. In other words, if the 

 spinner wanted the cotton, he must be prepared to pay a fair 

 price for it, and it was also essential that the planter should 

 get a ready market for his produce. The Association, 

 would help him to the best of their ability iu financing and 

 marketing tlie crop, and it would be more than a misfor- 

 tune for the West Indies if the Association were unable to 

 continue this work.' 



BRITISH 



COTTON GROWING ASSOCIA- 

 TION. 



The one hundred and fifty-seventh meeting of the 

 Council was held at the Offices, 1-5, C'ross Street, Manchester, 

 on Tuesday, the Gth inst. A letter from Lord Derby was 

 read regretting his inability to attend the mseting, and 

 apologising for his absence In the absence of the President, 

 Mr. J. Arthur Hutton occupied the Chair. 



It was reported that following the deputation to the 

 Board of Trade on February 8, a letter has been received 

 from the Hoard of Trade stating that a Committee 

 is being appointed to enquire into the best method of 

 developing the cotton-growing resources of the Empire. 



WEST .AKun V. With regard to the question of ship- 

 ments of cotton .seed, it was reported that a consignment of 

 about -500 tons had now been forwarded. The A.ssociatioa 

 have several thousand tons of cotton seed at their various 

 ginneries in Africa, representing over £].")0,'iOO in value,, 

 most of which is valuable as foodstuffs, and which will be 

 wasted if it cannot be shipped. Under present conditions, 

 however, it is essential that -ships should be principally used 

 for bringing the most useful articles of food to this country. 



A cable has been received from the Associations- 

 Manager in Lagos stating that heavy storms of wind and 

 rain have seriously damaged the unpicked portion of the 

 cotton crop, vvliich will fall short of estimates. It was 

 pointed out that this cable onlj- referred to the J^agos 



