Vol. V. No. 111. 



THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS. 



231 



COTTON EXPERIMENTS AT ST. KITT'S. 



Mr. F. R. Shepherd, Agricultural Superintendent 

 at St. Kitt's, has forwarded the following account of 

 the experiments that were carried on with cotton at the 

 Exijcriment Station at La Guerite during 1905-6, 

 together with a report frona the British Cotton-growing 

 Association on the 5 bales of lint from the plots, which 

 were shipped to the association : — 



These experiments were carried on at La Guerite on 

 5 acres of land, the property of the local Government, and 

 may be divided into three heads : (1) manurial experiments ; 

 (2) experiments in planting at different distances ; (3) 

 experiments in planting seed of different kinds. 



MANUEIAL EXPERIMENTS. 



The manurial experiments were a continuation of those 

 reported on last year by the Hon. Dr. F. Watts in the West 

 Indian Bulletin (Vol. VI, pp. 247-57), and were conducted 

 on the same plots and on identical lines. 



As on the previous occasion, the manures had but little 

 influence on the yield of cotton. These results will be 

 given later in detail ; but it is interesting to note the different 

 yields per acre when planted at different dates. 



Each plot was almost an acre in extent and planted 

 at intervals of two months, beginning with June and ending 

 in October. The following table gives the particulars : — 



The yield for both years is given so as to show the 

 result of late planting in each experiment. The seed used in 

 the first year was Rivers', and in the second year St. A^'incent. 



The picking was all finished by the end of February and 

 the cotton trees pulled up. 



The rainfall during the time series i was under experi- 

 ment was 38'69 inches; series ii, 21-73 inches; and series iii, 

 13-47 inches. 



EXPERIMENTS IN PLANTING AT DIFFERENT DISTANCES. 



In this experiment three kinds of seed were used, as 

 follows : — 



(1) St. Vincent; (2) Gilbert's seed, obtained from 

 Dr. Watts from Antigua ; (3) La Guerite seed, grown at 

 La Guerite the previous year from Rivers' seed. 



Each kind of seed was planted over -| acre, and this 

 was divided into -J acre and planted at 5 feet by 3 feet and 

 5 feet by 2 feet. The following table gives the results 

 per plot and per acre : — 



The cotton on these plots was planted early in August, 

 and picking was finished at the end of February. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH DIFFERENT VARIETIES. 



The experiments consisted of, first, 1 acre of land 

 planted equally in Gilbert's seed and La Guerite seed, | acre 

 each, at distances of 4 feet by 2 feet, and, second, ol two 

 plots planted in Centreville Sea Island cotton. 



The results of the first experiment are given in the 

 following table showing yields of seed-cotton : — 



This cotton was also planted in August, and picking was 

 finished by the end of February. 



The Centreville Sea Island seed received from the 

 U.S. Department of Agriculture through Dr. Francis Watts, 

 was planted on a y\y-acre plot at La Guerite, and on J acre 

 at the Botanic Station. 



The plot at La Guerite was planted 4 feet by 2 feet ; 

 that at the Botanic Station, 5 feet by 2 feet. This cotton 

 was planted in June and gave splendid crop results, as the 

 following table will show : — 



extraction 26-3 per cent., 



The seed-cotton from these experiments was ginned at 

 Spooner's ginnery, and the cotton from each kind of seed 

 was ginned and baled separately and shipped to the British 

 Cotton-growing Association. 



The following were the ginning results : — 

 St. Vincent .seed, 2,853 lb., extraction 28-2 per cent., 

 807 ft. lint. 



La Guerite seed, 735 ft., extraction 28-8 per cent., 

 213 ft. lint. 



Gilbert's seed, 592 ft., 

 156 ft. lint. 



Centreville seed, 600 ft., extraction 29-3 per cent., 

 176 ft. lint. 



Total, 1,352 ft. lint. 



Re2Mrt from British Cotton-grotving Association. 



The following report has been received frona the 

 British Cotton-growing Association : — 



' Two bales St. Vincent seed — " clean and bright, staple 

 fine, moderate length, value, \Qd. per ft." 



' One bale La Guerite seed—" clean and bright, staple 

 fine, moderate length, value, 16W. per ft." 



'One bale Gilbert's seed — "clean and bright, very fine 

 long staple, value, 17cZ. per ft. ; since sold at \Sd. per ft." 



'One bale Centreville seed — "clean and bright, but 

 wanting in fineness, value, Ibd. to 15ic?, per ft., since sold 

 atl5K"' 



