304 COTTON 



is given the agricultural authority to destroy, fumigate, 

 or sterilize all seed-cotton or cotton seed brought into 

 the Colony, and the provisions of this valuable Ordinance 

 have been and are strictly enforced. Under the ''Agri- 

 cultural Products Protection " Ordinance all sales of 

 seed-cotton of a less amount than 100 Ib. in weight at 

 any one time have to be made to the Government Ginnery, 

 but lots up to 4,000 Ib. in weight can be purchased. 



The primary object of this action was to prevent cotton 

 stealing, but as the Government wisely purchases the 

 cotton on a co-operative or profit-sharing basis, there 

 are few sales to licensed dealers. There is now only one 

 licensed dealer in the Colony, and the licence is held by 

 a responsible firm, who in their own interest take care 

 of the seed the result is that the seed supply for planting 

 is under close supervision. A third most valuable and 

 important Ordinance is that which provides for the 

 destruction of the old cotton stalks at the end of each 

 season in order to prevent the carrying over from one 

 season to another of certain pests and diseases. As the 

 provisions of this measure cover all kinds of cotton, it 

 has been possible to destroy all the perennial " native " 

 varieties, and so reduce to a minimum the danger of 

 cross-fertilization of the Sea Island variety with un- 

 desirable kinds. It is worth recording here that visitors 

 to the island interested in tropical agriculture are often 

 particularly struck with the uniformity of the cotton 

 plants in the field and the absence of " rogues "that is, 

 plants not true to type. Under the Ordinance above 

 named all kinds of cotton plants have to be pulled up and 

 burnt by April 30 in each year, and in the Northern 

 Grenadines a month earlier. Should an occupier of land 

 neglect to destroy effectually all the cotton plants planted 

 or growing upon land in his occupation by the stated 

 time, the Cotton Inspector or other officer specially 

 appointed can enter upon the land with the necessary 

 labourers, perform the work, and recover the cost in the 

 Small Debts Court; and further, the offender may be 

 fined a sum not exceeding 10, or in default be im- 

 prisoned for any time not exceeding one month. 



Sea Island cotton must, therefore, be grown as an 



