YoL. V. No. 122. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



407 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



The following report, dated Liverpool, November 11, 

 oil West Indian cotton, has been received from Messrs. 

 Wolstenholme and Holland: — 



American Sea Island cotton continues to advance, and 

 prices are nearly \d. per ft. dearer silice we last wrote on 

 the 5th. instant, the marlcet still being strong. 



A few small parcels of Barbados cotton have been sold 

 at 17r/. to 18|rf., and Antigua at 1.5irf. 



Writing on December 4, the same firm states : — 



Since our last report on the llth.- ultimo, American Sea 

 Island crop accounts continue to be more unfavourable, the 

 latest estimates being 60,000 to 70,000 bales for the entire 

 crop, as against 12-5,000 last year. 



We consider this rather beneath the mark, but at the 

 same time there is a distinct scarcity. On the other hand, 

 spinners have fair stocks carried over from last season and 

 can aiford to await. 



Quotations are Id. per lb. dearer for the lower grades, 

 and '2d. per ft. for the finer sorts, and we expect to obtain 

 record prices for West Indian Sea Island this season. 



COTTON PROSPECTS AT NEVIS. 



Mr. F. R. Shepherd, Agricultural Superintendent 

 at St. Kitt's, has forwarded the following note on the 

 prospects of cotton growing in Nevis : — - 



I am glad to !« able to report that ilr. Maloney, the 

 Temporary Cotton Instructor sent to Nevis, has done good 

 and useful work among the small growers, and his object- 

 lessons in dusting the cotton plants economically and etfectu- 

 ally have been appreciated by the larger growers. In 

 every way, I am of opinion that his presence in Nevis has 

 been of great benefit to the cotton industry there. In his 

 weekly report dated November 30, he writes : ' I have 

 visited practically all the small growers of cotton in the island, 

 the number of whom is 3.38 v/ith an area of 576 acn^s.' 



He is now engaged in going over the same ground to 

 find out if his instructions are being carried out, and with 

 what success. 



SEASONABLE NOTES. 



On many of the cotton estates in Barbados 

 planters will have to be turning their attention to 

 preparation for the second crop. 



The first bearing has almost all been picked from the 

 early planted fields, and, on account of the unfavourable 

 weather, the returns from these fields have not been as 

 good as usual. A very large number of fields were, however, 

 planted late, and these are giving promise of a better crop. 



Now, with reference to the plants which yield the second 

 crop, it will be useful to compare the character of the plants 

 as they produce their first and second crops. 



The plant as it produces its first crop is normally erect, 

 with an upright primary shoot giving off more or less small 

 lateral branches on which the bolls are produced. After the 

 first bearing the primary stem is not so much in evidence, 

 but large, spreading, lateral branches are produced from the 

 bottom of this primary stem. These lateral branches are now 

 the important parts of the plants, and if a good second crop 

 is to be reaped, they must be well looked after, On no 



account should the plants be crowded. Heoause of their 

 large si>reading branches, they require nuu-h more space when 

 producing their second crop than they did when producing 

 their first. There ought to be a space of from 5 to 6 feet 

 between the rows. Where the seed was sown in double rows 

 across the field, there is only about 2i- to 3 feet between the 

 rows. This is much too close, and every other row should 

 be taken up as soon as the first bearing has all been picked. 

 In cane cultivation the planter recognizes the great 

 benefit derived by covering the ground with trash in a young 

 cane field daring the dry months, and as the cotton plant, in 

 order to produce a second crop, has also to pass through the 

 dry season, it would be a great advantage to adopt some 

 method which would serve the same purpose as the trash in 

 a cane field. 



GOLD MEDALS FOR COTTON GROWERS- 



The following appeared in the St. Vincent Times, 

 of December 6 : — 



At a meeting of the Cotton Growers Association and 

 Agricultural and Commercial Society held at the Court 

 House yesterday, his Honour the Administrator read 

 a letter from the Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture for 

 the West Indies, in which Sir Daniel Morris informs the 

 Association that the gold medals offered by Sir Alfred Jones 

 for excellence in cotton culture were awarded to Mr. Alex- 

 ander Smith, of Argyle estate, and Mr. Charles Layne, of 

 Good Hope. His Honour, in announcing the fact, con- 

 gratulated Mr. Smith, who was present, on having obtained 

 the valued prize. In the course of his remarks Mr. Cameron 

 referred to Mr. Smith as one of the pioneers of the cotton 

 industry, to whose efforts the present very promising position 

 of the industry in St. Vincent was largely due, and 

 considered that he richly deserved the prize. Mr. Smith 

 thanked his Honour for his very kind remarks. 



In Antigua seventeen estates competed for the 

 gold medal. After full consideration the committee 

 appointed for the purpose advised that tlie medal be 

 awarded to Gilbert's estate, 'as being in their opinion, 

 taking into consideration both yield and price obtained, 

 easily first. This conclusion the committee consider 

 embodies not only their own opinion from returns 

 submitted, but, they think, carries with it, also, the 

 general verdict of the community, as shown by the 

 desire at all times to purchase the cotton seed from 

 this estate.' 



In Nevis the gold medal has been awarded to 

 Pinney's and Clark's estates, which had an area of 45 

 acres under cultivation, the average yield per acre 

 being I91'2 ib., and the average price per lb. 13S9d. 



At Barbados the Cotton Committee has recom- 

 mended that the gold medal for large areas, over 10 

 acres, be awarded to Dr. C. E. Cooding, M.C.P., 

 of Stirling estate, St. Philip, and the gold medal for 

 small areas, under 10 acres, to Captain G. A. O. Lane, 

 of Sewell estate, Christ Church. 



It may be of interest to mention that it is pro- 

 posed that all the gold medals referred to above shall 

 be presented by Sir Alfred Jones, at the Planters' Hall 

 on the occasion of his visit to Barbados on January 

 8 nest. 



