146 



COTTON 



regular and even in quality of any cotton produced in any 

 part of the world, and the bulk of the crop is sold at prices 

 ranging from 10 to 20 points on Middling American. This 

 is entirely due to the work carried on by the Association, 

 and it is no exaggeration to say that if they had absolute 

 control of the industry in each colony it would be of 

 immense advantage to the welfare of the district. The 

 Association have to sell the cotton, and therefore are in 

 a much better position to judge which type will give the 

 best results. 



It was subsequently decided that each Colony should 

 take over the experimental work, and I cannot say that 

 the results have so far altogether justified the change. But 

 it must not be forgotten that most of the men who took 

 the work over had had little or no experience of cotton 

 growing, and had to begin ab initio. 



While on this point I should like to say a few words 

 on the present quality of West African cotton, and as to 

 how it might be improved. Unfortunately, as a rule, West 

 African cotton gives a very bad ginning return, and the 

 proportion of lint is only about 27 per cent. In other 

 words, it takes 3^ Ib. of unginned or seed cotton to give 

 one pound of lint. If, therefore, the buying price is fixed 

 at id. per Ib. for seed cotton, the first cost works out at 

 3^d. per Ib. of lint cotton, and when one has allowed for 

 cost of buying, ginning, financing, freight, insurance, 

 brokerage, and other charges, the cost in Liverpool will 

 work out at about 6%d. per pound, which leaves very little 

 margin for profit. If a variety which gave 33 per cent, of 

 lint could be established, one could increase the buying 

 price to i^d. per pound, or by 25 per cent., without in- 

 creasing the cost delivered in Liverpool. It is therefore 

 evident that a variety which gives a better percentage of 

 lint is to be aimed at. West African cotton is also rather 

 on the short side, and also of a rough and harsh character, 

 and rather brown in colour, and other things being equal 

 it would certainly be an advantage if a variety could be 

 established rather whiter in colour and of a more silky 

 nature. The one great advantage of West African cotton, 

 and which gives it its value is the fact that it is exceedingly 

 strong, and gives very little waste in spinning, and there- 

 fore I would sooner stick to the present varieties rather than 

 introduce a new cotton, which, though longer, whiter, and 

 silkier, was of a soft and wasty character. If cotton is 

 really strong the spinner will overlook many other faults, 

 but when the market is well supplied, soft and weak cotton 

 is almost unsaleable. 



