70 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



March 3, 1906. 



I 



COST OF LABOUR IN COTTON 

 PRODUCTION. 



The following extract of a letter from the 

 Hon. Francis Watts, C.M.G., to the Imperial Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture, gives information as to 

 the cost of the labour required to produce and market 

 1 lb. of cotton : — 



In your letter of .July 17, 190-5, you inquired what 

 jiroportion of the money spent on cotton growing actually 

 reaches the labourer. Mr. Rollings prepared a most useful 

 statement which, he informed me, he sent to you. 



I have made inquiries from various people, some of whom 

 give somewhat vague information. Upon carefully consider- 

 ing these replies, I arrive at the following appro.xiniations. 



In Antigua, the amovuit spent on labourers' wages in 

 producing 1 lb. of cotton lint was, for three estates, G-12(7., 

 9'62c7., and e-filcZ., respectively ; in Barbuda, 9 ■62(7. (small 

 •crop ; heavy expenses in clearing land). In Nevis, 4'93(/. 

 and i'S.Drf. (a small addition to be made for cost of labour in 

 ■carting). In St. Kitt's, 3'0;/. (as a catch crop), iAd. 

 {as a cotton crop). 



There can be no absolute fixed amount, for the cost will 

 vary with the .season and the quantity produced. The Nevis 

 crops were large, and probalily represent a low expenditiu-e. 

 I think you may assume that the labourer gets from ild. to 

 €(7. for ever}' pound nf lint jiroduced. 



The following statements are from the report 

 referred to above, prepared by Mr. J. Spencer Rollings, 

 Agricultural Instructor at Nevis : — 



Fifty acres of cotton on one estate produced 12,.563 lb. 

 of lint, an average of 2.51"3 Di. per acre. The total cost of 

 production was £512 8s. 9i(7., an average cost of £10 4s. l\d. 

 per acre, or an average cost per pound of lint, of 9-45f/. 

 The amount paid to labourers as wages was £271 17.«. Srf., 

 which gives an average cost for labour per jiound of lint 

 produced of .5'73f?. 



The co.st fif labour amounts to 60'.59 per cent, nf the 

 total cost of pi'oduction. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



The Sea Island Kejjort, dated January 27, 1U06, 

 furnished by Messrs. Henry W. Frost & Co., of 

 Charleston, South Carolina, contains the following: — 



Islands. — There was some demand for the limited stock 

 of odd bags classing fully fine at 23^c., and several crop lots, 

 aggregating about 1 .50 bags, were sold on a basis of extra 

 line at 28c., ami extra extra fine 1:2c. to 15c. The stock now 

 consists \ery largely of iilanters' crop lots, and odd bags 



classing fine and below. The supply of odd bags classing 

 full}' fine and extra fine is small. We quote : — 



Tinged and stained island.s, 18c. to 20c. = 10i(?. to ll.b/. 



Fine 22c. = 12|d 



Fully fine to extra fine 23|c. to 25J,c. = 13]rf. to 14|t?. 



Fully fine to e.xtra fine planters' 



crop 26c. to 30c. = 1 Ud. to 1 6f (7. 



Extra fine planter's crop lots 35c. to 40c. = I9rf. to 22(/. 



The report dated February 3, 1900, gives the 

 following information : — 



Iflaitd.'i. — There was some demand for the limited 

 offerings of fully fine at 23ic., and extra fine at 25Ac., and to 

 .supply this demand .some small cro[is were sold as grade 

 cotton. Besides, .several planters' crop lots aggregating 175 

 bags were .sold at 25ic., and the 40 Cherokee 36c. The 

 buying was for England and France. 



The unsold stock consists very largely of planters' crop 

 lots, classing fully fine to extra fine held at 26c. to 30c ; and 

 about 1,000 bags odd bags, classing fine and below, which are 

 held on a basis of fine 22c., tinged 20c., stained 18c. 



Messrs. Wolstenholme & Holland, writing under 

 date of January 25, state : — 



Since our last report there has been a fair business 

 [lassing in Sea Island descriptions, and full prices have been 

 paid. For extra quality of Barbados Sea Lsland 17(/. has 

 been paid, and there is a demand for such cotton. Our last 

 advices from Savannah stated that the market was .steady 

 with a good demand. We do not look for any material 

 change in prices for the present. 



During the fortnight ended January 11, 90 bales of 

 West Indian cotton were imported into the United Kingdom. 

 Jledium fine is quoted in Liverpool 6'65c/. per K).; AVest 

 Indian Sea Isliind, medium fine, 13(?. per lb.; fine, lid. 

 jier lb.; and extra fine, lold. per lb. ( JIVs? Indian Committee 

 Circidar, February 19, 1906.) 



In the Textile Mereuri/ of .Tanuary 20, 1906, it is stated 

 that the exports of Sea Island cotton front America this 

 season amounted to 40,376 bales, or 15,906,269 lb., valued 

 at .«.3,223,271, or 20-3c. per lb. 



The counti'ies which took this cotton were the United 

 Kingdom, France, Russia (European), Germanj', and Canada. 

 The quantity of this cotton exported has increased from 

 21,829 in 1887, to 40,376 bales, but the export price is still 

 about the same. The export year of 1897 shows the largest 

 ijuantity of Sea Island cotton taken by foreign countries, the 

 total iVir the year having rt;achcd 55,824 bales. 



