COTTON 331 



is produced in the Leeward Islands Colony, and indicate 

 the important economic results which have followed the 

 introduction of the industry. Both on estates and among 

 peasant growers its effects have been far-reaching, and 

 it is worthy of remark that these results have been 

 attained in a comparatively short space of time. 



The permanence of the industry now appears to be 

 mainly contingent on two factors, namely: (i) The con- 

 tinuation of satisfactory market conditions; and (2) the 

 non-appearance of any wholesale destructive agency in 

 the shape of disease which may jeopardize the existence 

 of the industry. 



Given a continuation of existing conditions, there is 

 no reason why the industry should not be regarded as 

 firmly established. 



At all points a considerable store of knowledge has 

 now been accumulated by growers as to the best methods 

 to be adopted in producing the crop; but, in the case of 

 a highly specialized product such as this, there is still 

 room for a certain degree of increased appreciation on 

 the part of growers of the exact requirements of spinners, 

 and it may perhaps be added on the part of spinners of 

 more detailed knowledge of the conditions under which 

 the crop is grown. 



There does not appear to be any real reason, if these 

 two factors are correctly apprehended, why the require- 

 ments of spinners should not be met with even greater 

 exactitude than at present, but the essential feature must 

 not be lost sight of that each island will always tend to 

 produce its own type of lint, and that it is by reselection of 

 acclimatized strains that improvement is most likely to 

 be effected, rather than by importation of fresh strains 

 from outside sources. 



The general history of the industry is of interest and 

 also serves to indicate the steps which are most likely 

 to lead to success in fostering the development of other 

 industries under similar conditions. 



