346 



THE AGHICULTURAL NEWS. 



AudusT n, 1906, 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenhohne and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 report as follows, under date of July 10, 1900, in 

 regard to the West Indian cotton market: — 



Since our last report, dated .June :2(), a fair business lias 

 been done in "West Indian Sea Island descriptions at rather 

 easier prices. 



There continues to be a fair demand for cotton at 12t/. 

 to lid., but above that figure there is practically no inquiry, 

 except for a few bales of superfine cotton, occasionally, at 1 Id. 

 to 20f/. 



Qualities, say, ' good ' to ' fine,' onlj- interest buyers 

 when obtainable at 14</. to 15(7., and we think this may 

 continue, the reason being that consumers only require 

 substitutes for Florida and inferior island cotton at about 

 this price, and for crop lots of island at 17(7. 



Many of the recent arrivals show want of stamina in 

 the fibre, evidently the result of drought. 



The sales include Nevis, 13(/. to lid. ; Barbados, 14f/. to 

 15(Z. ; Antigua, 14f(/. to VIkl. ; St. Thomas, 13k?. to lUd.; 

 and St. Vincent (stained) ( ^d. to 9d. 



COTTON AS A CATCH CROP IN ST. KITT'S. 



To the Editor of the Agrindturnl Xews. 



Sir, — I send you below a summary of the working and 

 results of this crop for the past season on the two estates in 

 St. Kitt's, as to which I wrote you last year a letter published 

 in your issue of April 8, 1-905 (Vol. IV, pp. 102-3) :^- 

 ' Estate A. Estate B. 



Area in cotton ... ... 41 acres 44-i- acres 



Rainfall from May to April. . . 52 inches 61 inches 



rir.st sowings ... ... April 1905 May 1905 



Reaping ended ... '*. . !March 1906 March 1906 

 Total weight seed-cotton ... 24,134 ft). 38,548 ft). 



„ shipping weight, lint.. . 6,646 „ 9,765 ,, 



Average proportion of lint 



to seed-cotton .. . ... 27'04 per cent. 25'34 per cent. 



Average lint per acre ... 161 ft). 219 ft). 



„ cost „ „ ;.. £3 12s. M. £4 12s. \d. 



„ return per acre ... £& 19s. lid. £10 19s. 1</. 



„ clearance per acre... £5 7s. 6c/. £ 6 6s. 9c?. 



„ price obtained 



per ft), lint ... .j.. 13-32c?. ll-98c?. 



Last year the value, |0f the cotton seed was deducted 

 from the cost of growing ;, this year there is no such deduc- 

 tion : the crushed seed was; used as cattle food and went back 

 to the fields as manure. Last year cotton was charged 25s. 

 per acre for manure for subsequent principal crop. No such 

 charge has been made this year. 



Estate A suffered but little from pests : on estate B one 

 field was practically destroyed by the leaf-blister mite; sulphur 

 and lime were applied witli very poor results ; the bush was 

 burned. The manager reports that there have been no visible 

 ill effects of catch crop on -subsequent crops. 



I am, etc., 



(Sgd.) ARTHUR M. LEE. 

 9, Fenchurch Avenue, 



London, E.G. July 5, 1906. 



SEASONABLE NOTES FOR COTTON 

 GROWERS. 



Those who have not yet planted their seed are 

 again recommended to be most careful to have it 

 disinfected before: it is planted. Where the planter is 

 disinfecting his own seed, he can do this immediately 

 before planting, steeping the seed for twenty minutes in 

 the corrosive sublimate solution, then washing for ten 

 minutes in fresh water, and afterwards carrying it out 

 into the field and planting at once. 



It is a very bad policy to crowd cotton plants, as it will 

 result in a considerablj" diminished crop. Plant in single 

 rows, and when about four weeks old, single them out so that 

 only one plant is left to the hole. 



Every planter who has put in his seed should have on 

 hand a stock of Paris green. As much as 3 ft), for every acre 

 of cotton planted should always be on hand. 



If proper bags for dusting Paris green are not available, 

 no time should be lost in having them made. The best 

 material for making the bags is the cloth knOwn as 

 ' ticklingburg.' Where coarse bagging material is used, 

 large (|Uantities of Paris green are wasted. 



As cotton worms have already made their appearance, 

 the plants should be most carefullj* watched, so that they may 

 be dusted with Paris green immediately the worm is seen. 



Last year a few planters tried powder guns, which gave 

 nmch satisfaction, Those using them claim that there is 

 a great saving in Paris green, and that the poison is especially 

 well distributed. One man using a gun can dust as much as 

 6 acres a day. 



The Acme powder bellows will this year receive a fair 

 trial. They are chea|ier than the powder guns and appear 

 to do very good work. 



Both the powder gun and the bellows have an important 

 advantage over the bags in that they can be used earlj' in 

 the morning, while the dew is still on the plants, a condition 

 which causes the Paris green to adhere to the leaves. If the 

 bags are u.sed when the plants are damp they get wet, and 

 the dust refuses to pass through them. 



