6 
this boll is well grown and matured and evidently picked just at 
the ripe stage, the lint is excellent both as to colour and staple, the 
latter being of good length and strength. But unginned cotton is 
very deceptive, some growths suffer considerably by ginning, the 
staple being often cut and or weakened thereby. 
We dare not put a value upon l.nt on a single boll, but we may 
say that given the same colour, length and strength of staple such 
cotton would rank among the best growths and would bring a very 
high price say about i id. per lb. to-day. 
You say it is from American seed, but the friend from whom the 
seed was obtained does not know what sort it was. from the seed 
in the boll we should say that it must be'from either American, Sea 
Island or Egyptian Seed. 
The plant you describe is somewhat abnormal “ Eleven months 
old and full of bloom." In America seed time and harvest is 
covered by six months, and in India and Egypt, it is much about 
the same, 4 to 5 feet high is a good growth. In the new States ot 
America there is little or no fertilising, in the old States"; Phosphates 
are largely used. In the Sea Islands recuperation is brought about 
by allowing the land to lie fallow for a season. 
We send you by this post the “West Indian Bulletin ’’ from which 
you will gather much that is interesting and instructive regarding 
the planting and cultivation of cotton, experimental planting will 
teach you more; the rigid adherence to American practices has not 
proved successful in Africa, and your district will doubtless produce 
a quality of cotton peculiar to itself and by methods specifically 
called for by soil and climate. We would suggest that we send you 
small quantities of Sea Island Seed, Egyptian Seed and American 
ordinary seed. 
And if in any way we can assist you we shall be glad to do so. 
We may add that we have never seen anything that fould approach 
in quality vour sample boll, grovyn East of Suez. 
* m * t 
1 have, etc., 
Forbes, Fonjes, Campbell & Co, Ltd. 
• M. L. HALL, 
Manager . 
fibres. 
(1 Continued .) 
The Pineapple (Ananassa saliva) produces a very high class fibre 
but is very difficult to extract cheaply because of the hardness ot 
the epidermis of the leaf. No machine seems to work it really 
well and economically and all the best samples have been made 
by hand The largest quantity is made in the Philippines. Hand- 
made fibres can only be satisfactorily prepared where labour is 
cheap and plentiful, and this is not the case in the Malay Peninsula. 
