8o COTTON IN BRITISH WEST AFRICA 



duced as in the greater part of the country the rainfall 

 is too heavy. It is noteworthy, however, that the 

 best cotton grown in West Africa is produced in the 

 Ishan District of this Province. 



The cultivation of cotton in Nigeria cannot be 

 carried on with success near the coast as the rainfall is 

 too heavy, and the greater part of the crop is therefore 

 produced in the interior, north of Ibadan . With a view 

 to facilitating transport, the Lagos Railway was ex- 

 tendedfrom Ibadan to Jebba in the Northern Provinces, 

 and subsequently to Zungeru. This line was finally 

 linked up at Minna with the railway which had been 

 constructed from Baro to Kano. The increased trans- 

 port facilities thus provided have enabled the industry 

 to undergo great expansion. 



The following are the quantities of cotton exported 

 from the Southern Provinces of Nigeria during the 

 years 19021916 : 



Year. Quantity (lb.). Year. Quantity (lb.). 



1902 . . 12,359 



1903 . . 281,000 



(approx.) 



1904 



1905 1,374,875 



1906 . . 2,695,923 



1907 . . 4,089,530 



1908 . . 2,294,356 



1909 . . 5,032,916 



1910 . . 2,478,316 



1911 . . 2,238,190 



1912 . . 4,372,773 



1913 . 6,361,120 

 '9H . 5,649,840 



1915 . 2,697,072 



1916 . . 7,454,160 



These figures include the cotton passing through 

 the country from the Northern Provinces. 



Nigeria : Northern Provinces. Cotton is grown ex- 

 tensively in parts of the Northern Provinces, and 

 its cultivation is accompanied by a large manu- 

 facturing industry. The centre of this industry is 

 at Kano, which for centuries has been renowned for 

 its cotton goods, the trade in which is not limited 

 to Nigeria or even to West Africa, but extends as far 

 as the North of the Continent. 



The native methods of cultivation show consider- 

 able variation. In some places, the cotton is grown 

 as an annual crop ; in others, the plants are left in 



