Notes. 107 



delinting, ginning, and ultimately the manufacture of cotton fabrics 

 in South Africa will become established, while from these industries 

 again others would arise in the form of by-products, supplying articles 

 for which both here and in other parts there is a constant demand. 



The Department has evidence of a stirring among our agricul- 

 tural producers occasioned by the hopeful outlook in cotton growing, 

 and, as far as its capacities permit, is making every effort to foster 

 the industry and seize the golden opportunity of procuring a good 

 portion of the world's cotton trade. We have demonstrated that 

 without a shadow of doubt this country has the possibilities of pro- 

 ducing great quantities of cotton. We have passed the experimental 

 stage and a bold, forward movement now awaits us. The Division 

 charged with the furtherance of the industry is, under the guidance 

 of its Chief, Mr. W. H. Scherffius, M.S., widening its activities and 

 supplementing its staff by the addition of qualified technical officers. 

 Two have recently been engaged in the United States, the home of 

 modern cotton culture, while two others, Mr. Lloyd Worrall and 

 Mr. Hesse, have now been appointed, both being South Africans 

 trained oversea : the former is an itinerant officer for the eastern 

 Transvaal, being stationed at Barberton, and Mr. Hesse is Technical 

 Assistant, to deal with the commercial side of the industry, being 

 located at headquarters, Pretoria. 



Much literature on the various phases, cultural and economic, of 

 cotton growing in South Africa has been published and distributed 

 by the Department, and in this issue we give a few notes of a lecture 

 recently delivered by Mr. Scherffius on the subject. We would 

 emphasize Mr. Scherffius' advice on the necessity of striving after 

 the production of quality before quantity. This is most essential for 

 a country on the eve of a campaign which projects the capture of a 

 goodly portion of the markets of the world. We are alive to the 

 position that good seed, which produces good lint, is difficult to 

 obtain, and that our present supplies are of a mixed type, and 

 arrangements have therefore been made to supply farmers with the 

 best seed available. But in our anxiety to procure the desired seed 

 we must strenuously endeavour to avoid jeopardizing the Avhole 

 future of an industry for which such high hopes are entertained by 

 importing cotton pests with seed from outside our boundaries. At 

 present we are happy in being free from any of the serious pests 

 which have devastated the cotton fields of other countries. We 

 have referred to this matter in earlier issiies of the Journal. In view 

 of the great risk which has to be faced from this source the introduc- 

 tion of seed by private persons is limited at present to consignments 

 of 10 lb., and then only where permit has previously been obtained 

 from the Chief, Division of Entomology, while provision is b • ig 

 made for the erection of two vacuum fumigators for the purpose of 

 treating imported seed and guarding against the risk of introducing 

 insect pests. 



Cotton is therefore one of the crops which this Department 

 recommends to agriculturists in those parts of the Union suitable for 

 its cultivation. Convinced of a constant demand for the raw material 

 at remunerative prices, and the possibility of suitable labour organiza- 

 tion by farmers, we are satisfied that success awaits the cotton grower 

 who studies the subject and is properly equir)r)ed for raising one of 

 the primary necessities of the human race. 



