COTTON 329 



Mr. C. Rey, who owns a large ginnery, has done much 

 to foster the growth of the industry, and it is to his 

 efforts that the present position is largely due. Loans 

 are annually granted to him by the local Government and 

 the British Cotton Growing Association which enable him 

 to make advances to small cultivators while the crop 

 is being grown, and almost the entire output of the island 

 is marketed through him. The effect of the industry has 

 been most marked in affording a measure of prosperity 

 to this small island, where formerly the conditions were 

 of extreme poverty. 



Montserrat. Montserrat lies 27 miles south-west of 

 Antigua and has a total area of 32 \ square miles. 



The cotton industry is of prime importance in the island 

 and occupies the position of staple crop. The total area 

 cultivated ranges from 2,000 to 2,500 acres. The industry 

 has assumed an assured position and the acreage under 

 the crop on estates does not vary much from year to 

 year; the fluctuations which have occurred in the total 

 area planted during recent years have been very largely 

 due to the varying interest shown by the peasant pro- 

 prietary. 



The soils of the lower coast lands of the island are 

 on the whole very well adapted to cotton growing, but 

 on the higher lands in the central region of the island 

 soil and climatic conditions tend to render the crop more 

 uncertain. 



There are several privately owned ginneries in the 

 island, the majority of which, in addition to handling the 

 crops of estates, also purchase the produce of peasant 

 growers. Here, as in other Presidencies, trading in 

 cotton is regulated by a local Ordinance. 



The effect of the introduction of cotton growing has 

 been most beneficial, and has served to place the island 

 in a sound financial position; prior to the inception of 

 the industry the condition of the island was one of 

 considerable depression. 



Generally the outlook for the industry is promising; 

 as a result of satisfactory returns considerable increases 

 have taken place in the area planted with the crop by 

 peasants. Large tracts of land have been reintroduced 



