4i 
Valuation Report on Sample of Sea Island 
Cotton grown in Perak. 
For some time past Cotton has attracted considerable attention 
in different parts of the Empire and the following valuation report 
on a sample of Sea Island Cotton grown in the Government Gardens 
at Kwala Kangsar, Perak, may be of interest: — 
Chamber of Commerce, 
Manchester, 
December 5th, rpoj. 
Dear Sir, 
“ Yours of the 30th November 
“ I have obtained the report of a competent expert upon the 
sample of cotton referred to in your letter. 
The staple or fibre is described as too short for Sea Island. It 
is classed, without reference to its origin, as equivalent to “ Fully 
good Middling American” and as being wortli in the market 
yesterday 7^. to 7^/. per lb. 
I he staple is further described as “rough, coarse and very 
wasty.” By “ very wasty ” the expert means that in the processes 
preparatory to spinning this cotton would lose an inordinate amount 
of fibre as waste, fit only for the spinning of low counts of yarn. 
ELIJAH HELM. 
To Sir W. Thiselton Dyer, k. c. m. g.” 
This report was obtained through the assistance of Sir W. 
THISELTON Dyer, Director of Kew, who remarks — “J have had 
occasion to point out previously that long staple cotton appears to 
be most in demand in the English market." 
1 would point out that the sample reft rred to was produced from 
bushes raised from locally saved seeds already old in Perak parent- 
age, and that better results might be expected from imported 
seeds, or seeds from the first generation. 
At the present time, even a “ middling ’’ grade cotton which 
gives a sufficient return to furnish a good catch crop should be an 
acquisition. For this purpose Sea Island Cotton is well suited, it 
is a perennial bush and crops several times before becoming ex- 
hausted, and would most probably last as long as required between 
rubber or coconuts without replanting. Under cultivation on the best 
soils the plant admits of ordinary treatment and little difficulty need 
be anticipated until a crop is ready for harvesting, when, for clima- 
tic reasons, prompt action would be necessary. Jt is assumed that, 
as a catch crop, only alluvial or rich soils would be planted and that 
the poonac, or better still, the manure from animals fed on poonac, 
would be returned to the soil for the benefit of the permanent crop. 
