S58 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 17, 1906. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. WoLstenholme & Holland, of Liverpool, 

 report as follows, under date of October 22, in regard 

 to West Indian cotton in the Liverpool market : — 



Our last report was dated the 8th. instant, and 20 bales 

 of oddments have been sold since at 9(/. to llhd. 



During this period, the American Sea Island crop has 

 suffered from further storms, and prices of all de.scriptions of 

 Sea Island are dearer in Savannah, to the extent of hi. to \rl. 

 per fi). 



COTTON PROSPECTS IN ST. VINCENT. 



In forwarding a list of cultivators of Sea Island 

 cotton in St. Vincent for the 1906-7 crop, Mr. W. N. 

 Sands, Agricultural Superintendent, states : — 



It will be observed that the acreage planted is 1,534] 

 acres, but an area of about 40 acres, planted as an experi- 

 ment in the Carib country, is not included, as Mr. Simmons 

 does not think he will get much cotton from it, and my 

 observations lead me to the same conclusion. The growth 

 made is verj' poor and the plants are diseased. 



Last year 790 acres were planted, .so that this season's 

 cultivations are nearly 100 per cent, larger. 



You will observe that, in the list, there are this year 

 a number of small growers : about seventy have approx- 

 imately 180 acres between them. 



ANTIGUA COTTON CROP. 



Mr. H. A. Tenipany, B.Sc, Acting Superintendent 

 of Agriculture for the Leeward Islands, has forwarded 

 the following information on the cotton crop in 

 Antigua : — 



With the exception of a few small lots, the entire Antigua 

 cotton crop has been disposed of, and the money received and 

 handed over to the various owners. 



In all, 512 bales, containing 96,948 Bj. ut lint, have been 

 shipped, and of this 508 bales, containing 99,270 lb. of lint, 

 have been sold and the money distributed ; the actual gross 

 proceeds from the sale of this cotton, without including 

 charges, etc., have been £4,864 14s. id., and this gives an 

 average price for lint of 14'2f/. per lb. for the entire crop. 



As regards prospects for the coming crop, the excessive 

 rainfall for September has had the effect of stimulating the 

 growth of weeds to such an extent that growers here have 

 experienced very great difficulty in freeing their crops from 

 weeds. On this account, and also on account of the difficulty 

 of obtaining labour, several fields of cotton, have, 1 under- 

 stand, had to be abandoned. In addition, there is a tendency 

 on the part of growers to jjlant too closely, the disadvantage 

 of too close planting having not yet been fully grasped. 



SEASONABLE NOTES. 



The picking season has now begun, and planters are 

 again advised to be most careful with their crop. 



Proper picking bags should be supplied to all the pickers. 



Stained cotton should be kept separate from the clean 

 cotton by the pickers in the field. 



The first cotton picked from any field is always weak, 

 and it would be advisable to keep it separate from the later 

 ripening cotton and ship it by itself. 



Owing to the heavy rainfall in September, the seeds 

 from the early cotton will require more drying than would 

 have been necessary had the season been a drier one. 

 Planters are recommended to sun their cotton thoroughly, 

 and when it is necessary to store any quantity of seed-cotton, 

 to have it occasionally turned and opened out. 



Attention should be given to the house in which seed- 

 cotton is stored on an estate. It should be dry and airy and 

 perfectly clean. 



Planters can easily ascertain the condition of the cotton 

 plants in their fields. Plants in a good healthy condition 

 will be found to be carrying all their bolls even on the lower 

 branches, while those in a less robust condition almost always 

 drop them from the bottom branches, and often lose many 

 from the higher branches. 



It would be very useful if planters would examine the 

 cotton plants in any crowded field or part of a field, for if 

 such [ilants are examined it is most jirobable that they will 

 be found to have lost the bolls from their lower branches. 



CARAVONICA COTTON. 



Many references have been made in agricultural 

 and other papers to the remarkable qualities claimed 

 for the Caravonica cotton. The following statement 

 in regard to it was made in the Annual Report of the 

 Queensland Acclimatization Society for the 3'ear ended 

 March 31, 190.5 :-- 



During last year considerable attention has been 

 attracted to certain varieties of cotton in the Cairns di.strict, 

 and named Caravonica. The society has received seed and 

 lint of this cotton, one considerable parcel having been 

 handed direct to the writer by Sir Herbert Chermside, in the 

 original package as sent to him by ilr. Thomatis, who has 

 enthusiastically taken up the question of this supposed new 

 variety. ]\Iost careful comparison has been made in various 

 ways with this variety with rather disappointing results. 

 In appearance little, if any, difference can be perceived 

 between it and other cottons well known in the States. 

 The Overseer has grown it alongside the plants which it 

 resembles, and can discover no variation. A rather poor 

 yield of this variety may be a circumstance that would 



