COTTON 



at certain places, attest the great, though short-lived, 

 importance to which cotton cultivation attained in the 

 middle years of the nineteenth century. 



The rise of the existing industry dates from 1902, in 

 which year commercial trial plantings of Sea Island cotton 

 were made in St. Kitts and Montserrat; these were 

 rapidly followed by similar ventures in other islands in the 

 following year; prior to that small scale experiments had 

 demonstrated that in the cultivation of the Sea Island 

 variety lay the greatest hope of the attainment of success- 

 ful results. 



From that time the industry has developed steadily, 

 and although, as is inevitable, checks and difficulties have 

 been encountered from time to time, these have, for the 

 most part, been successfully surmounted; at the present 

 time the industry must be regarded as having attained 

 a position of considerable stability, while the proceeds 

 derived from it constitute an important fraction of the 

 wealth of the Colony. 



In assisting to bring about the development of the 

 industry to the present level, the fostering care bestowed 

 thereon by the local Government and by the British 

 Cotton Growing Association has played a part of the first 

 importance; had this not been forthcoming there is no 

 doubt that the industry would not have developed so 

 rapidly. At the same time the planting community have 

 taken full advantage of the opportunities offered, and, as 

 a result of this cordial co-operation, the present position 

 has been built up. 



The assistance alluded to has taken the form of grants 

 and loans in aid of the purchase and erection of machinery 

 for handling the crop, of advances of money on easy 

 terms to prospective cultivators, of the supply of skilled 

 advice and assistance on matters pertaining to the treat- 

 ment and handling of the crop, and of the provision of 

 ready means of marketing the produce. 



From the inception of the industry practically the entire 

 crop has been marketed through the British Cotton 

 Growing Association, while a considerable proportion of 

 the stores and materials required in preparing the staple 

 for market is still procured through that institution. 



