150 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS 



May 1-2, 1906. 



WEST INDIAN SEA ISLAND COTTON. 



Thr following infoimation, relative to sales of 

 "West Indian cotton, is extracted from a letter, dated 

 April 18 last, addressed by Messrs. Wolstenholme & 

 Holland, of Liverpool, to the Imperial Commissioner 

 <jf Agriculture : — 



The top prices we have obtained this season are 

 St. Vincent, 20(7.: Barbados, 1S(/.; Antigua, 19(/.; St. Kitt's, 

 19d.; Anguilla, lid.; and Nevis, lod. per lb. 



Barbados cotton has been sold up to 18c?., but this 

 figure represented a .small quantity only, the bulk being about 

 16c?. to IGld.: St. Kitt'.s, 1.5c?. to 17c?.; and Nevis, 13c?. to 15c?. 



We anticipate a good demand for cotton at 12c?. to 15c?.; 

 but it will be difficult to obtain above the latter figure for 

 any quantity. 



ST. VINCENT COTTON. 



The following infonnation, in continuation of that 

 published on p. 119 of this volume of the Agricultural 

 Neics, w'ith regard to recent sales of St. Vincent cotton, 

 has been communicated b3- Mr. W. X. Sands, Agri- 

 cultural Superintendent, in a report dated April 13 : — 



The following additional sales of lint have been 

 reported : Eive bales sold at 19c/. per lb., 38 at 18f?., 3 at 

 17ic?., and 5 at 16ic?., making a total of 51 bales. 



To date, out of 237 bales reported to have been .sold, 

 only 7 have realized less than 17c?. per lb,, and I am of 

 opinion that in each case where the price obtained has been 

 below this figure, the result was due to insufficient attention 

 havin" been given to the instructions of the Department. 



So far, for the season, 312 bales of lint, each weighing 

 360 ft. net, have been ginned at the cotton factory, and 

 there is enough seed-cotton on hand to give about 15 more, 

 so that the total crop will equal about 327 to 330 bales. 

 Sixty bales were shipped to the British Cotton-growing 

 Association by the E.M.S. ' Eden ' on April 11. 



COTTON AT ANGUILLA. 



His Honour Sir Robert Bromley, Bart., the Ad- 

 ministrator of St. Kitt's-Nevis, has kindly forwarded 

 the following extract from a report by Sir Benjamin 

 Pine, Lieutenant Governor of St. Kitt's and Anguilla, 

 published in a Blue Book in the year 1862. This 

 extract deals with the production of cotton in Anguilla. 



It is of particular interest as showing that the 

 island seems to-day to be repeating its cotton history of 

 forty years ago on almost identical lines, but, it is 

 hoped, with more jjermancnt results : — 



For cotton, however, the soil and climate certainly are 



adapted, as that plant, owing to the nature of its root, is 

 capable of enduring a much greater amount of drought than 

 most other vegetables. Accordingly we find that in former 

 times this article was grown in large quantities in the island, 

 and was the chief source of its prosfierity. I may mention 

 that in the Penny CyclojKKdin (article ' Cotton ') it is stated 

 that it was from this i.sland that the famous Sea Island 

 cotton was taken to America, and the statement is confirmed 

 by the tradition of the i.sland. The cotton was, of course, 

 not indigenous to the island, and it is not known how it 

 came there, but the fact above mentioned is enough to show 

 the fitness of its soil for the production of the finest kind of 

 cotton known to exist. 



Prospects as to Cotton. — With these natural sources of 

 prosperity, I cannot help thinking that the condition of the 

 i.sland admits of great imj-trovement. There are already some 

 signs of reviving industry and enterprise among the people. 

 Cotton again is exciting attention. Ujiwards of 60 acres of 

 it are now under cultivation . and last year a quantity of the 

 value of about £400 was shipped. It would be cultivated 

 much more extensively were it not for the extreme poverty of 

 the people, who have not the means of buying gins and other 

 things required for its preparation. 



To meet this inconvenience, I proposed to the vestry 

 that they should vote a small sum of public money for the 

 purpose of purchasing two or three gins, which should be set 

 up in central places, and of which every grower nught have 

 the use upon i)ayment of a small sum to Government towards 

 defraying the expenses. 



The vestry gladly adojited my proposal, and I have 

 written to the Chairman of the Cotton Supply Association in 

 Manchester, setting forth the advantages of Anguilla as 

 a field for the growth of cotton, and requesting him to have 

 the kindness to cause the required machines to be sent out. 



THE DROUGHT AND COTTON PLANTS. 



Cotton in Barbados is at present suffering severely 

 from the effects of the prolonged drought. In many fields 

 there is scarcely any sign of leaves, while in the best fields 

 the usual growth of young -shoots from the base of the plants 

 is almost absent. A little cotton is being picked on some 

 estates, but it is only of inferior quality. This will affect the 

 crop returns to a con.siderable extent, as the second picking in 

 Barljados is usually of a very satisfactory character. Should 

 good rains now fall and start new growths, there would 

 be no chance of a crop until about the middle of July or the 

 beginning of August. To continue the cultivation of the old 

 plants cannot be recommended, and in view of this some 

 of the planters are at present clearing the fields of the old 

 cotton i>lants and getting ready for the new crop. 



