Vol. V. No. 11.5. 



THE AGKICULTUKAL NEWS. 



295 



COTTON PROSPECTS IN MONTSERRAT. 



Mr. W. Kobson, Curator of the Botanic Station, 

 reports as follows on the prospects of the cotton crop in 

 Montserrat : — 



The outlook for the 1906-7 crop is more hopeful than in 

 any previous year, and probably 900 acres are under cultiva- 

 tion, as compared with about 700 for the three previous 

 crops. A definite planting season is now in vogue, ilay, 

 June, and July being recognized as the best months. The 

 greater j.iortion of the crop was planted this year previous to 

 July. No ratooning is now attempted, but the old plants are 

 immediately burnt off as soon as the crop is reaped. 



The higher lands to windward, having been planted in 

 May, promise to give a much better yield this year ; 1,770 lb. 

 of Barbados selected seed were imported for planting, but 

 most of the crop is from local seed. 



The planting of cotton amongst newly planted limes has 

 been successfully practised for two years without injury to 

 the limes. Much new land is being opened up towards the 

 south, and several smaller planters are benefiting by the 

 Government cotton loans. Small growers, planting from i to 

 1 acre, are very numerous ; they dispose of their seed-cotton 

 locally, which pays very well. 



UNITED STATES SEA ISLAND COTTON 

 CROP. 



The following is extracted from the Annual Sea 

 Island Report of Messrs. W. W. Gordon & Co., dated 

 Savannah, Georgia, September 1, 1906, in reference to 

 the Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina cotton crop : — 



During the past season the Florida crop was 42,437 

 bales, against 39,619 the preceding year; increase, 2,818. 

 Georgia crop 67,215, against 53,112; increase, 14,103. 

 South Carolina crop 13,712, against 11,586 ; increase, 2,126. 

 Total 123,364, against 104,317 ; increase, 19,047. West 

 India crop estimated at 2,300, against 1,200 bales preceding 

 year ; increase, 1,100. In weight the Carolina bale averaged 

 350'2 ft)., against 352-5 lb,; the Florida bale 377 Bj., against 

 401 -6 Bi; the Georgia bale 408ft)., against 401 -68). The average 

 l^rice of Carolinas was about 27ic. per ft)., equal to .$96'30 

 per bale, against 27c. per ft), last year, equal to $95' 17 per 

 bale. Floridas and Georgias averaged 18c., making the 

 value of Floridas 667'86 per bale, and of Georgias S73'44, 

 against an average for Floridas and Georgias of 2r27c. 

 per ft), last year, equal to •$85-45 per bale. 



The season of 1905-6 presented many unusual features. 

 The largest crop on record was produced ; it exceeded the 

 largest previous crop by nearly 20,000 bales, or about 20 

 per cent. The quality was poor, and the preparation was 

 undesirable. Florida cotton in particular was complained 

 of on account of the large percentage of short-staple cotton 

 mixed with the better staple. 



Ginners found it impossible to grade the seed-cotton 

 properly before ginning, because the scarcity of labour caused 

 many fields to be neglected until the bottom, middle, and top 

 bolls were all open at the same time, and the pickers stripped 

 each plant as they came to it, with the result that different 

 qualities of staple were mingled together before the seed- 

 cotton ever reached the gins. 



In spite of the unusual size of the crop and its poor 

 quality, prices were maintained on a fairly satisfactory basis 

 throughout the season, and, for the first time in the history 

 of Sea Island cotton, a crop of over 100,000 bales was 

 consumed, with prices, even for the lowest grades, ranging 



above 15c. Heretofore, in large crop years, it has been 

 necessary to sell 15,000 tn 20,000 bales of the lowest grades 

 at from lie. to 13c., in order to stimulate a demand for these 

 qualities. 



The small crop of extra-stapled Upland cotton produced 

 in the Mississippi Valley, the high prices paid for it, together 

 with the small crop and high prices prevailing in Egypt, 

 caused an abnormal demand for Sea Island cotton, and the 

 absorption of the large and undesirable crop at relatively high 

 prices. 



NEW CROP. 



The acreage of the crop of 1906-7 is smaller than that 

 of the previous season, and the crop' has encountered very 

 unfavourable weather from the start. From June 1 to 

 August 1, excessive rains visited the Sea Island belt almost 

 daily. The weather during the month of August has, on the 

 whole, been favourable, but the damage done by the .June to 

 July rains cannot be entirely repaired. Mills using Sea 

 Island, extra-stapled Upland, andEgyptian cottons are enjoying 

 a prosperous trade, and it is likely that there will be a healthy 

 demand for Sea Island cotton throughout the season, unless 

 exorbitant prices at the outset check the consumption. 



Florida, Geoegi.\, and South Carolina Chops, 1894-1906. 

 The same report gives the following figures 

 relating to the crops of long-staple cottons, which are 

 of considerable interest : — • 



(i) Fur Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. 



An analysis of these figures discloses a number of 

 interesting points : — 



During the twelve years covered by the table the total 

 crop of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina cotton has 

 increased from 74,839 bales to 123,364 bales (the largest 

 crop on record), or an increase of over 60 per cent. 



During the seasons 1894-5 to 1897-8 the total exports 

 considerably exceeded the American consumption. From the 

 latter season onward, the home consumption has exceeded the 

 export to a gradually increasing extent. In 1894-5, 54 per 

 cent, of the total crop of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina 

 cotton was exported. Last year the exjjorts were only 26 per 

 cent, of the whole crop. While the total exports have 

 declined from 40,741 bales in 1894-5 to 34,103 bales last 

 season, the American consumption has increased from 34,981 

 bales to 90,484 bales in the same period. 



The South Carolina crop in 1894-5 amounted to -5,913 

 bales, last year it was 13,712 bales. 



On the average, over the twelve seasons, the United 

 Kingdom has taken 90 per cent, of the total exports. 



