A 



FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW 



OF THE 



ulBRARY 

 NEW YORKT 



IMPERIAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE WEST INDIES. 'cI'--''''' 



Vol. y. No. 101. 



BARBADOS, MAKCH 3, 1906. 



Price Id. 



West Indian Cotton Industry. 



ETURNS furnished by the Customs' Depart- 

 ments in the various West Indies show 

 ,_«, V, ^^ that there were exported from the West 

 Z-H Indies durincj the quarter ended December 31, 1905, 

 cc 265 bales and 15 bags of cotton, weighing 97,397 lb., 

 ^ iind of the estimated value of £4,833. 



If to these figures the amount and value of cotton 

 exported for the nine months ended September 30 

 are added, the total exports for the year 1905 

 are found to be 3,950 bales, weighing 1,122,800 lb., and 

 valued at £47,846. 



These returns, which are arranged in tabular form 

 on the next page, show the actual weights and the 

 estimated value of cotton lint exported from the several 

 islands, but do not make any allowance for the value 

 of the cotton seed. 



In an article on the Barbados cotton industry 

 (Af/riculfural A't'ics, ^'ol. Y, p. 33), it is stated that, in 

 order to estimate the real value of the industry, the 

 value of the seed must be taken into account. 



The experience of the past three years has shown 

 that seed-cotton generally yields 29 per cent, of lint, 

 or, that from every 100 lb. of seed-cotton, 29 tb. of lint 

 and 7 1 lb. of seed are obtained. At this rate, there would 

 have been produced with the 1,122,800 lb. of lint 

 exported during 1905, 2,748,924 lb. of seed, or 

 1,227 tons, which at £5 per ton (the value of cotton 

 seed when sold to the oil factory for the purjDose of 

 extracting cotton seed oil), would be worth £6,135, 

 making the total return for lint and seed £53,981. In 

 addition to this, if the feeding and manurial value of 

 the cotton seed meal be taken into account, there is 

 a saving in the amount to be expended on other feed 

 and manurial substances, which is of decided benefit. 



Further, a certain proportion of the seed might be 

 sold for planting purposes. If it be assumed that one- 

 sixth of the total amount of seed is suitable for 

 planting, and finds a market at lUJ. per lb., the value of 

 the seed would be considerably increased. At this rate, 

 458,154 lb. of seed, for planting purposes, would realize 

 £2,863 9s. 3(?., while the remainder, 2,290,771 lb., at 

 £5 per ton, would be worth £5,113 6s. Id, 



