34 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Februaey 3. 1906. 



On the other hand, if the seed were ground into meal 

 and fed to stock, or if the seed were delivered to the 

 Factory on condition that S.5'00 were paid for the oil 

 contained in every ton of seed, and the resulting cake 

 or meal weighing, say, 1,800 ft>., were returned to the 

 grower, the latter would derive full value for his produce. 



It is desirable to mention that in estimating the 

 export value of the lint, the Custonis authorities place 

 this at Is. per ft. It is well known that during the 

 past year, Barbados cotton has sold for Is. 1(/. to Is. Sd. 

 per ft. At an average price of Is. 2rL per ft., the 

 value of the cotton lint exported during 1905 would 

 be £20,084 4s. Od. If, however, the seed were known 

 to be of good quality and in demand for planting 

 purposes, it is probable that at least one-si.\th of it 

 would sell at lUl. per ft., i-ealizing £877 17s. 9<L, while 

 the balance at !^2400 ])er ton would realize £1,-567 

 13s. 3(/. It would not be wrong, therefore, to assume 

 that the total value of the cotton crop reaped at 

 Barbados for the year 1905 was not far short of 

 £22,530. The details are as follows : — 



:344,232 ft. Lint, at Is. 2(/. per ft. = 

 140,462 ft. Seed, at lUl. „ „ = 

 702,312 ft. „ at £5 per ton = 



£20,084 4 



877 17 9 



1,567 13 3 



Total £22,529 15 



There is every indication that the crop of 1906 

 •will show an increase of 30 to 40 per cent, on that of 

 1905, and prices promise to be good for all really first- 

 class cotton. 



As already pointed out by Mr. J. R. Bo veil 

 (Aifricaltund Neivs, Vol. IV, p. 278), the cotton 

 industry could be extended and maintained in a high 

 state of efficiency on many lowland estates in this 

 island without interfering with the sugar industry. This 

 might be done by adopting a system of rotation of 

 crops. At St. Kitt's, where cotton is grown on sugar 

 ■estates as a catch crop {Aijrlcultaral A^civs, Vol. IV, 

 p. 102), the estimated clearance is placed by Mr. Arthur 

 M. Lee at £5 17s. 7d. per acre.* At Barbados, gi'owing 

 cotton as a catch crop may not be practicable. The 

 rotation suggested by Mr. Bovell in this island is as 

 follows : (1) sugar-cane ; (2) sweet potatos ; (3) cotton, 

 and (4) Indian corn ; to be followed again by sugar- 

 cane commencing a new series. 



For instance, if the canes were reaped in February 

 to Apiil 1906, sweet potatos could be planted in August 

 or September following. The potatos would probably 



* In a subsKiiuent note (.4.jV. , Vol. lA', p. 140) Mr. Lee 



reduced tliia to £5 7*. 7d. per acre. 



be ready to be taken off early in 1907. As soon as this 

 were done, the land could be manured and planted in 

 cotton in June 1907, and remain under that crop until 

 the early months (March or April) of 1908, when the 

 cotton bushes should be removed and burned. The 

 land could then be planted with Indian corn. When 

 the latter crop has been reaped, the land, well prepared 

 and manured, could again be planted in sugar-cane in 

 November and December of the same year. 



It would be useful if this or some other system of 

 rotation that might be suggested by those experienced 

 in growing both canes and cotton were brought up for 

 discussion at a meeting of the Barbados Agricultural 

 Society. 



In any case, it is hoped that those engaged in 

 cotton growing will continue to devote the closest 

 attention to all the details of cultivation, that they 

 will deal promptly and effectively with the cotton 

 worm and other pests, and steadily bear in mind that 

 if the island is to maintain its present high character 

 for the production of Sea Lsland cotton, strenuous and 

 skilful action will be necessary on the part of all 

 concerned. 



It must be a source of gratification to those who 

 have the interest of the island at heart to realize that 

 in cotton cultivation a valuable subsidiary industry 

 has been placed within the reach of the planting 

 community, and its further development as a rotation 

 crop on lands now under canes, or as a main crop on 

 land not capable of yielding remunerative crops of 

 canes, cannot fail to add to the material wealth of the 

 colony. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Sugar Industry in Trinidad. 



The Annual Report on Trinidad for 1904-5 has 

 the following reference to the sugar industry : — 



In s[iite of the fact that tlie last decade has witnessed 

 a struggle for existence on the jiart of the cultivation of 

 sugar, one of our staple products, the revenue of the colony 

 has advanced from £698,939 in 1900 to £811,614 in 

 1904-5, a steady natural increase being shown each year. 

 The removal of bounties upon the production of beet sugar 

 in Europe, combined with the good prices obtained last 

 year, has given renewed hope to sugar planters and has led 

 to increased activity ia cultivation. Moreover, it is realized 

 by the planter that, to ensure succe.ss, an improvement in the 

 methods of cultivation is necessar}', and that it is truer 

 economy to produce a larger crop to tlie acre than the .same 

 crop from a larger area cultivated. Much attention has, in 

 tlie pa.st, been paid to the manufacture of sugar, and Trinidad 

 factories are, for the most part, equipped with modera 



