186 



action of the air and sun. The other cause is due to the different 

 stages of maturity of the filaments on different paits of the same seed. 

 Unripe cotton vshen examined with the aid of a microscope appears 

 extremely thin and transparent, and usually with little or no twist, 

 and it is of little use for manufacture. When used it contracts and 

 curls up in the warm atmosphere of the factory, causing yarn spun 

 from cotton containing much unripe fibre to depreciate gr atly in value. 

 The half -ripe fibre has the same characters, but to a lesser degree, and 

 is more valuab'e than the former, but it is only the ripe cotton fibre 

 that possesses all the requisites for perfect spinning and dyeing. 



Y. Correspondence. 

 Secretary British Cotton Growing Association to Director Public 

 Gardens and Plantations, Jamaica. 



19 Queen St, Oldham, England, 



Nov. 10th, 1902. 



Dear Sir, 



I am much obliged for the Periodicals and Newspaper cuttings 

 which you have so kindly sent me. I am very anxious to get as much 

 information as possible respecting the prospects of cotton growing in 

 your island, and shall be glad to hear from you at your earliest con- 

 venience. This Association is about to send a quantity of Egyptian 

 seed to Jamaica through Messrs Elder Dempster & Co. which I hope 

 will get into good hands. 



I enclose copy of correspondence, etc. which we have just published. 



Yours faithfully, 



Jno. C. Atkins, Secretary. 



The copy of the published Correspondence alluded to above, may be 

 seen by those interested at office of Director, Hope Gardens. 



VI.— Sea Island Uott n in the United States. 



The Bureau of Plant Industry of the U. S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture has under way investigations in the improvement of cotton in 

 the U. S., and as a foundation for such work it is necessary to deter- 

 mine the varieties best suited to each section of the cotton belt. The 

 Bureau is therefore distributing cotton seed of the best strains to test 

 in comparison with the varities already grown. 



One of these strains is Seabrook's Sea Island Cotton for distribution 

 in the sections of Georgia and Florida that grow Sea-Island Cotton. 



Dr. Galloway, Chief of the Bureau, kindly promised the Director, 

 when in Washington, to help him with seed, and has lately presented 3 

 pecks of seed of Seabrook's for trial in Jamaica. This will be grown 

 at the Prison Farm under the care of Mr. J. T. Palache. A small 

 patch is planted cut already at the Hope Experiment Station for the 

 sake of experiment with various aistances for planting, methods of top- 

 ping, pruuning, &c The following is an extract on the cultivation re- 

 commended from a circular distributed with the seed. 



" The Seabrook selection of Sea-Lsland Cotton is adapted to light, 

 sandy land of good fertility It is planted in rows 5 feet apart, with 

 a distance of from 18 to 20 inches between the plants in the row. 

 Greater care must be given to the cultivation of Sea- Island than is 

 usually given to Upland cotton. The land should be thorough'y pre- 



