Sep. 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 663 



Cotton Growing in New South Wales^ 



The high prices ruling as a result of the war have brought this crop into 

 prominence. The industry, which in Australia is largely centred in Queens- 

 land, has always had its ups and downs, a renewal of effort on its behalf 

 taking place with an advance in prices, but again declining with a fall. 



At the present time there is a serious world shortage of cotton, and prices 

 are up to a higher level than they have ever been ; consequently there has 

 been a great incentive to production recently in Queensland, where some 

 cotton has always been grown. The Queensland Department of Agriculture 

 lias fostered the industry by supplying seed to growers in that State, and 

 assisting them in the disposal of their crops by making an advance on seed 

 cotton consigned to that Department after deducting the expenses of treatment. 



Last season the total amount paid to Queensland growers was over 6d. per 

 lb. for seed cotton, and the Government has now guaranteed to advance to 

 growers in that State 5M. per lb. upon all seed cotton free from disease and 

 of good quality grown prior to 30th June, 1922, provided that it is consigned 

 to the Department of Agriculture, Brisbane, and delivered at the railway 

 station or port nearest to the place where it was grown. The raw cotton 

 will be subsequently ginned and sold on the owner's account, and, after paying 

 the expenses, the surplus over and above the original 5|d. per lb. will be 

 paid to the suppliei- of the raw cotton. 



The Queensland Department of Agriculture has now consented to extend 

 this favour to New South Wales growers in the northern part of the State, 

 provided a certificate is sent with each consignment that it is from seed 

 supplied by the Queensland Department, and that no cotton grown from 

 other seed is in the immediate neighbourhood. 



The Commonwealth Government has also guaranteed a minimum price of 

 4d. per lb. for raw cotton harvested in Australia during 1920. A promise has 

 also been made to guarantee a mniimum price for the 1921 and 1922 crops, 

 but this price has not yet been fixed. 



At these prices, the cotton crop must be considered as a profitable side- 

 line on small areas on many farms in the northern part of New South Wales. 

 The districts in which good cotton of the upland varieties has been grown in 

 an experimental way in this State aie the North Coast (north of Sydney), 

 and the north-western districts on the main northern and north-western 

 railways, excepting those of the colder Northern Tablelands. 



It has been thought that only the tropics are suited to the production of 

 cotton, bvit in the United States of America (which provides more than 

 two-thirds of the world's total supply) practically none of the cotton-growing 

 area lies within the tropics. In no part of that area are frosts unknown 

 ■during the winter — in fact, frosts are desirable for the upland varieties, as 



