1 Ocr., 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 419 
SPINNING INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES. 
H.M. Consul-General at New York reports that, at the end of August, 
1900, the number of spindles in the Northern States of America had increased 
by 100,000, bringing the number up to 14,050,000, while those in the south had 
increased by over 500,000, bringing the number up to 4,540,515. The new 
mills erected and in the course of erection in the south are said to show 
a very large proportion of plants, with 15,000 spindles or less, put up almost 
entirely by local capital, showing confidence in the future of the Southern 
cotton industry. — * 
It is stated that American spinners took 3,687,000 bales, while British 
spinners took only 3,334,000 bales of cotton in 1900. 
Tt is stated also that the total exports of cotton cloth from the United 
States amounted to 257,910,508 yards in 1900, compared with 418,504,132 yards 
in 1899, showing a reduction of about 16,000,000 yards of coloured cloth and 
nearly 145,000,000 yards of uncoloured. There was a slight increase in the 
exportation to the West Indies and Bermuda, to South America, and to 
Australia, and an increase of about 6,000,000 yards to the East Indies, but a 
decrease in almost every other case, which amounted in that of China to over 
126,000,000 yards. The total imports of cotton cloths from Great Britain 
diminished from 50,000,000 yards in 1899 to 40,800,000 yards in 1900; those 
from France, Germany, and Switzerland showed a fractional increase. 
THE FUTURE OF COTTON SEED. 
Cotton seed (says the Florida Agriculturist) is more rich in that which 
makes food than wheat. People are getting informed upon the subject, and 
are giving cotton seed its position with other grain. Here is a comparison and 
values of cotton and wheat. It is an instructive table : — 
Wheat: Protein, 11°87; carbohydrates, 73°69; fat, 2°09; value, 1 dollar. 
Cotton Seed: Protein, 17°57 ; carbohydrates, 10°82 ; fat, 20:19; value, 1 dollar 
39 cents. 
The above table gives the number of pounds of food components and the 
analytical value of 100 Ib. each of wheat and cotton seed, according to the 
methods in use by the agricultural experiment station. It shows the sur- 
prising fact that, pound for pound, cotton seed has a greater intrinsic value 
than wheat. Neither is the bulk of the cotton-seed crop by any means significant 
as compared with wheat. 
There is no doubt but that cotton seed is going shortly to become one of 
the most iniportant foods. 
That which can be made from cotton seed will by its own merit crowd its 
own way to the front. It will be a staple article upon the municipal market 
of every civilised land. It will be but a few years before cotton-seed flour and 
cotton-seed meal will be common staples to be purchased at any good market 
in the country. 
SUGAR-CANE FROM SEED. 
The experimental overseer at Hambledon plantation, Cairns, Mr. Clarke, 
has been successful, we are informed, in propagating cane from seed, and has 
hundreds of seedling canes now coming on: Not oniy has this been done, but 
he has also succeeded in getting the seed to germinate under trash, under 
natural conditions. This success will be of great interest to sugar-growers, as 
possibly some new good variety may be found amongst the seedlings. [For full 
particulars of Mr. Clarke’s experiments, we refer our readers to the Mackay 
Sugar Journal of 15th September, which contains a most interesting article on 
the subject.—Ed. Q.4.J.] 
DIVI-DIVI PODS. 
The Board of Trade Journal says that the pods of a Queensland sample of 
this plant (Cesalpina coriaria) have been analysed and found to be of excellent 
quality, and highly valued (for tanning purposes) by the brokers to whom the 
sample was submitted. 
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