COTTON 151 



Africa this centre would have been closed down. There 

 may, however, be possibilities on the new railway between 

 Port Harcourt and the Niger. In the Lagos Province the 

 results have been most satisfactory, and last year's crop was 

 over 13,000 bales. In Northern Nigeria a large quantity of 

 cotton is grown, but owing to the demand for local consump- 

 tion the ruling price is prohibitive. Sooner or later 

 European cloths must displace the native manufactures, but 

 in the meantime we can only hope that the Agricultural De- 

 partment may be able to establish a variety for which the 

 Association will be able to pay a higher price. 



West African cotton now commands a ready market 

 in Liverpool, which is perhaps best shown by the fact 

 that the Liverpool Cotton Association have established 

 standards for West African cotton. The quality, thanks to 

 the Association, is now so regular and reliable, and the 

 cotton is so excellently ginned and baled, and the B.C.G.A. 

 mark has acquired such a reputation for regularity and 

 honesty, that the whole of each year's crop could be sold 

 before it is even planted. The Association make a point of 

 paying the highest possible price to the natives, and more 

 often than not their cotton-buying account shows an actual 

 loss. 



BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 



The results obtained in British East Africa have been 

 disappointing. The Government commenced some experi- 

 mental plantations, and the Association sent out a small gin- 

 ning plant to Mombasa. It was later arranged that the 

 Association should undertake the experimental work, and 

 eventually this was handed over to the British East Africa 

 Corporation when they were appointed the agents of the 

 Association. The plantation worked by the Corporation 

 was not a success and had to be abandoned, and I am sorry 

 to say that several other companies have been equally unsuc- 

 cessful. This is partly due to unfavourable climatic con- 

 ditions, though it is quite possible that better results might 

 be obtained by trying to establish cotton growing as a native 

 industry. Some fair results have been obtained with native 

 cultivation in the Kisumu district adjacent to Lake Victoria. 



The main interest to the Association in East Africa is 

 the fact that Mombasa, or rather Kilindini, is the terminus 

 of the Uganda Railway and the outlet for Uganda cotton. 

 It has been suggested by several of our numerous critics that 

 the Association does nothing for Uganda. So far from this 

 being the case, I can assure them that at almost every con- 



