108 NIGERIA SOUTHERN PROVINCES 



COTTON. Reviewing the work which has been done 

 in inducing the agricultural population of the country 

 to cultivate cotton for export, by far the greatest promi- 

 nence must be given to the untiring efforts of the British 

 Cotton Growing Association, who are gradually sur- 

 mounting all the obstacles which retarded their progress. 

 The condition of the industry, especially in the Western 

 Province, is extremely favourable, and shows signs of 

 further development. 



In every Yoruba market sales of cotton are now con- 

 ducted as a part of the regular transactions of the day, 

 and cotton from distant villages filters through from 

 market to market, increasing in value as it approaches a 

 ginnery, where the full price for it may be ultimately 

 claimed by the trader who has collected it. 



On account of this system of passing from one market 

 to another, chiefly in the form of barter for other produce, 

 it becomes nearly impossible to accurately determine the 

 origin of the supplies brought to the ginneries ; and, by 

 reference to the records kept, very large quantities of 

 cotton often appear as having been sent from towns 

 which are little more than accumulating centres, and 

 in the vicinity of which there is little or no cotton grown. 



Experience in the plantation of cotton under European 

 control has shown that without combining the work of 

 a general trader, farmer, and ginner with that of grower, 

 such an attempt is not likely to prove remunerative. 

 The British Cotton Growing Association have abandoned 

 development upon these lines, directing their attention 

 solely towards buying, ginning and inducing the native 

 farmers to cultivate the plant in their ordinary field rota- 

 tions. Such plantations as still exist are now under the 

 direct control of the Government and are maintained 

 for the purpose of experimental work and for the propaga- 

 tion of improved types. 



The local varieties of cotton may be roughly classed 

 under five heads, which are easily recognisable by the 

 characters of the seed and lint. These are : 



1. Black, clean-seeded with a brown tuft or brown 

 woolly and a brick-red lint. " Eponkon." 



2. Black, clean-seeded, with a creamy white lint. Com- 

 mon Western Province kind ; rarer in the Central Pro- 

 vince (Ishan). 



