JUNE, 1909.] 



521 



fibres 



In the May number of the T, A. I indi- 

 cated five tons of dry bamboo per annum 

 as a fair average crop per acre. This is 

 for stems of the age mentioned in the 

 preceding paragraph, and has been 

 arrived at by observations extending 

 over several years on selected plots of 

 poor to fair growth only. T purposely 

 rejected figures obtained from plots of 

 luxurious growth in order to err abun- 

 dantly on the safe side. It is therefore 

 a very conservative estimate. The 

 Burma Forest Departmeut put the 

 general average for such stems at seven 

 tons per acre, and they put the available 

 bamboo jungle within reach of water- 

 ways in that province, at approximately 

 60,000 square miles. On these figures, 

 and estimating a yield of 45 % of cellu- 

 lose, Burma alone is capable of produc- 

 ing a hundred and twenty million tons 

 of pulp per annum. The potentiality 

 for the whole of South Eastern Asia 

 runs into figures so enormous as to be 

 beyond our grasp. My own estimate for 

 Burma is five tons per acre on 20,000 

 square miles, giving an annual possible 

 output of 28,000,000 tons, I am quite pre- 

 pared to admit that this is too conserva- 

 tive, but even so, it is sufficient to estab- 

 lish the fact that the industry can never 

 suffer from a lack of supplies as is now 

 the case with woodpulp, of which the 

 present annual demand is under 8,000,000 

 tons, and which may be expected to 

 increase to 15,000,000 in twenty year's. 



The cost of raw wood sufficient to 

 make a ton of pulp has now advanced to 

 from £3 to £4. For bamboo, the same 

 item amounts to £1. There is in this 

 fact alone a prima facie case for bamboo, 

 and carefully framed estimates indicate 

 that a bamboo pulp worth £8 10s. in 

 England, and £9 10s. in Japan, could be 

 made here and delivered in either 

 country for from £7 to £7 10s. per ton. 

 On the capital required, these figures 

 represent annual nett earnings, after 

 providing for depreciation, of 40 %, 

 and in the present state of woodpulp 

 supplies, there is every likelihood of the 

 values quoted rising. 



BRITISH COTTON GROWING ASSO- 

 CIATION. 



(From the British Cotton Groiving 

 Association Third Annual Report, 

 No. 26, April, 1908.) 



Report to 31st December, 1907. 



In presenting their Third Annual Re- 

 port of the work carried on by the 

 Association since Incorporation, the 

 66 



Council have to congratulate the share- 

 holders on the excellent progress made 

 during the last sixteen months. 



The previous reports have been for 

 the periods of twelve months ending 

 respectively on August 3lst, 1905 and 

 1906. The West African Cotton Season 

 does not end until November or Decem- 

 ber, and it was found very difficult and 

 inconvenient to get all the accounts 

 adjusted during the height cf the Cotton 

 Season. The Council therefore decided 

 to make up the accounts to December 

 31st in each year. The present report 

 consequently covers the period of six- 

 teen months ending December 31st, 1907, 

 and all future reports will be for the 

 twelve months ending on December 31st 

 in each year. 



The Council wish to record their 

 thanks to His Majesty's Government for 

 the great assistance rendered in many 

 directions, and also to the Officials of 

 the various Government Departments, 

 both at home and in the Colonies, who 

 have taken an active part in forwarding 

 the objects of the Association. It is a 

 matter of especial congratulation that 

 His Majesty's Government decided in 

 July, 1907, to proceed with the construc- 

 tion of the Northern Nigeria Railway, 

 which will open up the most promising 

 new cotton field in the Empire. The 

 monthly conferences at the Colonial 

 Office have been continued under the 

 chairmanship ot the Right Hon. Wins- 

 ton S, Churchill, M.P., the Under-Secre- 

 tary of State for the Colonies, and have 

 been of material assistance in carrying 

 on the work. 



The Council l egret to record the death 

 of Mr. Theodore Gadduin, who had 

 rendered most valuable services to the 

 Association, more especially in connec- 

 tion with the work in India. They also 

 regret that owing to ill-health Mr. John 

 C. Aitkins, who has beeu connected with 

 the Association since 1902, had to resign 

 his post as Secretary. The Council 

 appointed him as Treasurer, and also 

 elected him a member of the Council, 

 Mr. E. H. Oldfield was appointed Secret 

 tary in his place. 



During the sixteen mouths the Council 

 have met on nineeten occasions, and 

 there have been ninty-nine meetings of 

 Committees and Sub-Committees. 



On December 6th, 1906, a Banquet was 

 held, the principal guest being Mr. 

 Winston S. Churchill. A farewell Ban- 

 quet was also given to Mr. Churchill on 

 August 23rd, 1907, on the occasion of his 

 departure for East Africa. Ou both 

 occasions the President (Sir All red L. 



