34 



he cotton industry was started there, and in 1902-3 they exported 

 474 lbs. cotton. In 1904-5 they exported six times as much, and. 

 in 1906-7 they had exported 8,000 lbs. The area in 1904 in cotton 

 was 1,500 acres, but in 1905 it fell back to 800 acres. But as he 

 had mentioned, they had as a result of better cultivation a larger 

 return from the smaller area. In 1906-7 the area went up again 

 to 1,500 acres, and the prices that year were the best obtained, viz., 

 eighteen pence. They had had excessive rains this season and 

 the yield of lint was low in consequence. As regards the small 

 cultivators in the several colonies, the President went on to explain 

 that whilst an endeavour was being made to instruct them in 

 cotton growing, they were not advised to go in for the industry, 

 on any scale, as if they had a couple of bad seasons it would mean 

 ruin to them, whilst the plantation owner would be better able to 

 bear a loss. There was fear of repeating the lesson taught by the 

 hurricane in Jamaica in 1903. Every small owner had put his 

 land in bananas, and when the hurricane came, his loss was total 

 and complete, and he had no other crops to fall back on. Hence 

 they did not encourage the small owner to go in for cotton before 

 he fully and clearly understood the risk he was running. They 

 sought to begin at the top and teach the big land owner first. In 

 that way the knowledge would be more quickly acquired and more 

 generally spread. At the same time they did not discourage the 

 small man. In Nevis, for instance, he found the other day that 

 some 350 small growers had put in cotton, and there was great 

 risk of their losing their crop through lack of knowledge. He at 

 once telegraphed for an expert to enable them to save their crops, 

 and this had been successful. 



Sir Alfred Jones said he was very pleased with the statements 

 that had been made, and especially with Mr. Clarke's explanation 

 of the financial situation in Barbados. He thought that much was 

 clue to Mr. Chamberlain for that satisfactory state of affairs. He 

 was certain that if the West Indies would only grasp the fact, they 

 had the means of great prosperity before them. They would grow 

 cotton and they could make money out of it. There was no possible 

 doubt about that. As regards the company formed on the voyage 

 out to work one of Lord Dudley's estates in Jamaica, operations 

 would be begun at once, and would be pushed on. As regards the 

 present expedition, he intended, all being well, to bring out a far 

 greater expedition, next year. He was not going to give up the 



West Indies. 



After some further remarks by the President the Conference 



closed. 



RUBBER. 



I. — RUBBER AT THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 

 YORK MEETING, 1906. 

 Extracts from the Address to the Section of Chemistry and 

 Agricultural Science by PROF. WYNDHAM DUNSTAN, M.A., &c. 

 President of the Section, 

 There is no more important group of questions demanding 



