Vol. V. No. 108. 



THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS. 



181 



COTTON IN ST. KITT'S. 



In further reference to the results obtained from 

 a field of cotton on Conaree estate in St. Kitt's (see 

 Ayricidtural A^eius, Vol. V, p. 87), Mr. F. R. Shepherd, 

 Agricultural Superintendent, writes as follows under 

 date April 24 : — • 



The prices received by last mail have been very satisfac- 

 tory. Cotton from Conaree estate, which gave the large 

 return of 350 ib. of lint per acre, sold for Is. id. per ft)., and 

 Canada cotton brought Is. '3d. per Bi. This last was not sold 

 by the British Cotton-growing Association, and it seems as 

 if the cotton shipped to the association invariably brings 

 a higher price 



It will be seen that this field of 12 acres has 

 yielded a gross return of £215 5s., or at the rate of 

 £17 18s. 9d. per acre. 



ST. VINCENT COTTON INDUSTRY. 



Mr. W. N. Sands, Agricultural Superintendent at 

 St. Vincent, has forwarded the following, in continua- 

 tion of previous notes published in the Agrieidturcd 

 News, on the cotton industry in that island : — 



Ginning was finished at the central cotton factory and 

 the total number of pounds of lint dealt with amounted to 

 121,174:, or nearly .337 bales, which, with small lots not 

 dealt with at the factory, would bring the total up to about 

 338 bales. Although this yield does not work out at i- bale 

 an acre all round, the actual yield was much larger, and had 

 there been a sufficient supply of labour during the picking 

 season, the yield, in the opinion of planters, would easily 

 have worked out at over 200 lb. of lint per acre. On one 

 estate alone it is estimated that seed-cotton equal to 10 bales 

 of lint was lost from this cause. 



WEST INDIAN SEA ISLAND COTTON. 



The following information, relative to sales of 

 West Indian cotton, is extracted from a letter, dated 

 May 1, addressed by Messrs. Wolstenholme & Holland, 

 of Liverpool, to the Imperial Commissioner of 

 Agriculture : — • 



Since our last report a good business has been done in 

 West Indian Sea Island cotton at steady prices. 



The sales include: Nevis, lid. to 15rf.; Anguilla, lihd. 

 to I6d.; Montserrat, lid. to lohd.; St. Kitt's, i5d. to ifd.; 

 Antigua, li^d. to IScZ.; and Barbados, I old. to 17(7. 



There is an indisposition to pay over 16c?. for 'fine,' as 

 users have sufficient stock to last them for several months. 

 There is, however, a limited demand for really ' extra fine' 

 at 18c/. to I9d. For common cjualities, 12c7. to lid., there 



is a large inc^uiry, but we have hopes of obtaining 1 id. to 

 15c7. for these sorts, for a while at any rate. 



Writing a fortnight later, Messrs. Wolstenholme 

 & Holland report : — 



Our last report was dated the 1st. instant : since which 

 date fair sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton have taken 

 place, including Nevi.s, I3id. to 15i-cZ.; St. Kitt's, 15c?. to 

 Idird.; Anguilla, 16c/.; Barbados, 16c/. to 17f/.;and St. Vincent, 

 15c/. to 20c/. 



Buyers having good supplies on hand are not disposed to 

 add to their stocks, except at some concession in price. 



Qualities between 13c/. to 1 4c/. are readily saleable, and 

 there is an indisposition to pay over 15c/. except for 'extra 

 fine ' St. Vincent up to 18c7. to 19c/. 



EMPIRE-GROWN COTTON. 



In the House of Commons on May 2, the Under- 

 Secretary of State for the Colonies stated : — 



In 1902 the amount of cotton exported from British 

 colonies to the United Kingdom comprised only 827 bales of 

 the value of £4,742. In 1904 the amount had risen to 9,438 

 bales of a value of £52,026 ; while the amount exported to 

 all other countries, which in 1902 was 2,093 bales, of a value 

 of £11,467, rose in 1904 to 12,037 bales of a value of 

 £61,475. The figures for 1905 were not yet complete. The 

 amount of cotton grown under the auspices of the British 

 Cotton-growing Association was, in 1903, approximately 

 estimated at 1,900 bales of a value of £29,000 ; in 1904 this 

 had risen to 6,000 bales of a value of £80,000 ; and in 1905 

 to 14,200 bales of a value of £190,000. The estimate for 

 1905 far surpassed all previous records, and the total crop 

 was computed at 20,000 bales of a value of £330,000. He 

 thought these figures, which exceeded an arithmetical pro- 

 gression, were highly remarkable and encouraging, especially 

 considering the brief period during which the experiment had 

 been made. The multiplication of the sources of cotton 

 supply could not fail, in the course of time, by averaging 

 climatic risks, and consec^uently preventing unusual shortages, 

 to exercise a steadying influence upon cotton prices, with 

 a resulting restraint upon cotton gambling. The Secretary 

 of State was warmly interested in the work of the British 

 Cotton-growing Association. The policy initiated under the 

 late Administration would be maintained and, he trusted, 

 pursued. The Government was in cordial co-operation with 

 the association in the furtherance of its work, both by 

 means of monthly conferences held at the Colonial Office with 

 representatives of its council, and through the assistance 

 which was being given to its objects by the Imperial Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture in the West Indies, and by the Govern- 

 ments of African colonies and dependencies. (Cheers.) 



