COTTON 141 



bility for the market of any new type of cotton. When 

 all is said and done, the buyer has the last word in the 

 matter, and it is most important that the farmer should 

 grow the cotton which the spinner wants. 



WEST INDIES. 



In some ways the results obtained in the West Indies 

 are the most satisfactory, for the West Indian Islands are 

 producing a sufficient quantity of Sea Island cotton to fully 

 meet the present demand. Unfortunately, owing to the 

 existing style of ladies' dresses, the demand for lace has 

 fallen off very much, and consequently the demand for the 

 highest class of cotton has not increased during recent 

 years. One can only hope that the present rather unbe- 

 coming fashions may change, and that the demand for Sea 

 Island cotton may increase, and that the Association will 

 be able to advise the planters to increase the acreage under 

 cotton. 



In connection with the work in the West Indies, there 

 was one great advantage. The Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, which was then under the able management 

 of Sir Daniel Morris, was a thoroughly equipped 

 organisation, with an excellent staff of scientifically trained 

 experts, such as existed in no other part of the Empire. 

 As soon as the cotton proposition was placed before Sir 

 Daniel Morris, he at once grasped the great possibilities 

 of the question, and what was perhaps more important, he 

 was able to take immediate steps to ensure that the plan- 

 ters should receive supplies of seed of the highest possible 

 quality. Mr. Lomas Oliver, who is a member of our 

 Council, and who himself uses the best quality of Sea 

 Island cotton, paid two visits to the West Indies, and I 

 accompanied him on the second occasion. I cannot express 

 too high praise for the excellent work which was being 

 carried on by Sir Daniel Morris, who has been so ably 

 succeeded by Dr. Watts. I could only wish that the 

 authorities would realise the vital importance in agricultural 

 countries of a fully equipped and trained agricultural de- 

 partment. As a rule the organisation which looks after 

 agriculture is generally the " Cinderella " of the Govern- 

 ment Departments. No doubt the other Departments are 

 of considerable importance, but a few years ago in many 

 of our tropical Colonies there were no Agricultural De- 

 partments of any sort whatever, and even to-day in the 

 majority of cases they are not much to boast of. What 



