131 



Mis Hvnour the Commissioner, Turks Island to Hon. Colonial Secretary. 



Grand Turk, 29th April, 1896. 



Sir, 



I have the honour to report that, as a result of my recent inspection 

 -of the Caicos Islands, it has struck me that some good may possibly be 

 done for the people by inducing them to cultivate cotton, if only in a 

 small way, in addition to the usual provision fields to which their atten- 

 tion is at present entirely confined. 



2. I noticed cotton growing, chiefly in a wild state, at every settlement 

 I visited. At Lorimers, I came across one man who had been taking 

 some little pains with the cultivation, and in his house I found several 

 bags full of cotton, for which he was able to find a market at Cockburn 

 Harbour. Four varieties of cotton were pointed out to me and were 

 described as " white cotton," " brown cotton," " casimere" and " sea- 

 Island" respectively. The first is the ordinary cotton that one sees 

 growing wild in these and other West India Islands ; the second 

 appears to be almost the same as the first, with a brownish tinge at the 

 edge ; the " casimere" is a brown silky cotton, possiby the Egyptian 

 variety ; and the " sea-island" presumably the same as that grown in 

 the Southern States of America. This man told me that he had some 

 couple of " tasks" (a task is 105 feet square) planted out, and that, 

 while the value fetched was small, yet it was sufficient to pay him for 

 the comparatively little trouble he had in growing it. 



3. I find that Mr. Stubbs, at Cockburn Harbour, has recently been 

 laying himself out to buy cotton brought to him by the Caicos people 

 on a barter system. Samples that he has forwarded to the States have 

 been valued at 6 to 10 cents a pound; he allows from 2\ to 3 cents 

 with the seed. Mr. Stubbs told me that he contemplates setting up a 

 small gin at Cockburn Harbour, if and so soon as he can fiud that 

 there is a likelihood of the people bringing him in sufficieat cotton to 

 justify the expense. 



4. I spoke to the people in the different places, advising them to try 

 cotton and pointing out particularly that it was work in which they 

 could utilise the services of their children. They seemed to doubt the 

 likelihood of their bjing able to obtain a certain market and quoted an 

 experience of former years when they found the crop left on their 

 hands. However they took in the idea and promised to think about it. 



5. It is under these circumstances that I write to ask if you would 

 be so good as to obtain from the Director of Public Gardens and 

 Plantations any information that he thinks might be useful in regard 

 to the times, method of planting and gathering, and as to the quality* 

 of cotton that would be most suitable for cultivation in such land as 

 the Caicos affords. I would also ask whether he could obtain for the 

 Government one or two bags of the best and most suitable cotton seed. 

 I would then propose to distribute this seed by means of the Constables in 

 various localities, with a circular giving information as to planting, etc. 



6. I know that in parts of the Bahamas cotton is grown and disposed 



