&8 
The British Cotton Growing Association has done excellent 
work in the past, and will, I hope, do more excellent work in 
a larger field in the future. Circumstances are’in its favour. 
There is almost an illimitable demand for cotton, and there 
seems no probability of an illimitable growth of cotton. Cocoa, 
coffee, rubber and other commodities are quite as attractive to 
the producer. 
Iam inclined to think, therefore, that cotton will on the whole 
remain relatively high in price. From the point of view of the 
British Cotton Growing Association I hope so. For, successful 
as it has been, I fear the prices. of 1898, when Middling 
American averaged only 3°31d. per lb., would make the con- 
tinuance of its operations difficult if not impossible. 
In the few remarks I have made on Mr. Hutton’s paper I 
have spoken of the desirability of increasing the growth of 
cotton in the British Empire. I do not forget this is an 
International Congress of Tropical Agriculture. It only 
remains for me to say in conclusion that we do not take a 
narrow or particularist view of this question. We shall be 
only too delighted to see an increase in the growth of cotton 
in other Empires than ours, and Mr. Hutton has shown how 
ready the British Cotton Growing Association is to give to the 
world the benefit of the knowledge and experience it has gained 
during the last decade. 
On the motion of the PResipEnt, a vote of thanks was unani- 
mously accorded to Lord Derby and to Mr. Hutton. 
