78 



Sea Island (that is long-staple) cotton is now selling at 12d. to 15d. 

 per lb., while Upland (short- staple) cotton is selling at 6d. to 8d. per 

 lb. It is generally acknowledged that where good Sea Island cotton 

 can be grown, it is useless to devote attention to Upland cotton. This 

 specially applies in the case of the British West Indies, as the areas 

 available here for cotton growing are relatively small as compared with 

 other countries, and it would be futile to attempt to compete in the 

 class of cotton that could be grown over extensive areas, aggregating 

 millions of acres, in Brazil, Peru, the Argentine, West Africa, Egypt 

 and India. 



With the view of meeting, as far as possible, the requirements of 

 these colonies, the writers of this report have purposely confined the 

 information contained in it to the treatment of Sea Island cotton. 

 This cotton, it is true, requires more careful cultivation than ordinary 

 cotton; the cotton worm has specially to be guarded against; the pick- 

 ing requires to be performed under close supervision; the seed is to be 

 separated from the lint by means oi roller gins, and not what are 

 known as saw gins. Further, in the baling, Sea Island cotton requires 

 less pressure than is the case with Upland cotton, and the packages are 

 of a different shape. They are usually sent to market in long cylin- 

 drical bales resembling ' pockets' of hops. 



Selection of Soil. 



The typical cotton soil is described as ' a fine sandy loam' or ' a 

 medium light soil of good average fertility.' It is undesirable to 

 attempt to grow good Sea Island cotton on very poor lands, or those 

 exposed to strong winds. ' Dry shallow soils' are to be guarded against, 

 as also ' wet bottom lands.' Good drainage is essential. In light sandy 

 soils the plants are usually small and the yield inferior; on slightly 

 heavier and richer soils the yield is greater and the fibre stronger ; 

 while on heavy clay soils the plants become coarse and leafy, and the 

 return in fibre is small in proportion to the size of the plants. Light 

 and fairly deep soils may be rendered productive by the use of pen and 

 other manures, and irrigati* n in localities where tbe rainfall is scanty 

 would be of great advantage. Districts with an annual rainfall of 

 more than 80 inches will probaby be found unsuitable for cotton grow- 

 ing. Provided sufiicient rain falls during the season of growth, so 

 that the plants attain a fair size, they can af'.erwards bear compara- 

 tively dry and hot conditions. 



R' TATION. 



It is undesirable that the same land should be replanted two years 

 in succession in cotton. Such a course will probably lead to the exhaus- 

 tion of the soil and t<» an increase in insect and other pests. The rota- 

 tion adopted in the Sea Islands is as follows :— 1st. year, cotton ; 2nd. 

 year, fallow ; 3rd. year, cotton ; 4th. year, leguminous cop. Some- 

 thing of the same kind might be foil wed in the West Indies. In any 

 case, the continual cropping of land in cotton, without high cultivation 

 and manuring, must result in crops inferior both in quantity and 

 quality. 



Preparation of Land. 



Hints as to the preparation of land in bush, or lands formerly in 

 canes, together with the probable cost in the different islands have al- 

 ready been published (pp. 225-41.) Before the seed is planted the 



