The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-26 00:00:00

Cotton Supply Lssociation.

At a meeting of the Executive Committee, lately
held, a letter was read describing the operations of
tke Valencia Land Company, and enclosing samples
of cotton grown upon a portion of marsh lately
drained near Castellon. The plantation was injured
during a severe storm in June, owing tothe drainage
works being incomplete, which, however, is not
likelyto happen again, and confident hopes of better
success are entertained. It is believed that an im-

portant quantity and quality can be produced, and
the company intends to enter more largely into the
cultivation. A. letter received from the British con-

sulate, Scutari in Albania, reports that the governor
general of the province, his Excellency Ismail
Pacha, is zealously endeavouring to promote the
cultivation of cotton, and is desirous not only to
improve the quality, but to obtain the best means of
cleaning the produce and preparing it for market.
A letter was read from Naples enclosing samples of
Sea Island, Siamese, and New Orleans; 12 bales of
which, the produce of about 58 acres of land,
amounting to 7,1301 b., were shipped for Liverpool
at the beginning of the month. The soil in which

it was grown is composed of a very thick strata of
ashes from Vesuvius, on a rock of lava from the
same volcano, which runs down into the sea. The
property was formerly entirely covered with vine-
yards, but since the disease in the vines made its
appearance, no vintage worth preserving has been
obtained, and a portion of the estate has been con-
verted into arable land for growing madder roots
and cotton. The Sea Island variety seems to thrive
well, and should fine weather continue till the end of
the year, it is expected that the plants will produce
two or three bales more of clean cotton. The yield
this year has not been so large per acre as last year, a
violent gale of wind between the 9th and 12th Nov.
having damaged the plantations considerably. The
cotton was picked as it ripened during the months
of September, October, and November, care being
taken to keep all the defective cotton separate
from the good. It was cleaned by Macarthy
gins, worked by steam power, and every effort has
been made to send the cotton to market in the best
possible condition. It is very difficult to ascertain
the quantity grown or the extent of land cultivated
with cotton in the neighbourhood of Naples, or in
the other provinces. The greater part is shipped
for Genoa, Marseilles, and Trieste, whence it finds
its way to the north of Italy, Switzerland, and Ger-
many, very little indeed being shipped to Great
Britain. Fresh supplies of Sea Island and New
Orleans seed are required, and will be duly for-
warded for next sowing season. The results of
further efforts will be communicated. A letter was
received from Tacna, Peru, stating that the, writer,
who is well known for his efforts to introduce the
alpaca into Australia, is now engaged with others
in cultivating cotton in the interior of Bolivia, on
the margins 'of rivers running into the Amazons,
down which all the produce will be forwarded. It
is stated that according to information recently re-
ceived, more than 300 bales of 3501b5. each will be
sent down to Para in the months of June and July,
the rivers being then full, should the necessary ma-
chinery for cleaning and pressing the cotton be ob-
tained by May next. A gin to be worked by two
mules will be supplied forthwith, and it is hoped
that the anticipated result will be realised. Papers
forwarded from Calcutta were received from the
Board of Revenue, dated Allahabd, November 4th,
reporting that the cotton crop of the North Western
provinces is estimated this year to be 824,540
maunds of 801 b. each, against 1,659,917 maunds,
the actual crop of last year. The area planted is
nearly 50 per cent. less than in 1864, being 895,102
acres, against 1,730,634 acres ; this large decrease
is attributed to the remarkable fall in prices origi-
nated by rumours of peace in America, a fall which
continued until at the commencement of last sowing
the price of cotton in some districts was reduced to
the rate at which it was selling before the disturbances
in the United States. The season has not been un-
favourable ; the rains, which were deferred till very
late, have fallen in abundance, and the general as-
pect of the crop is said to be promising. The yield
pea aore will probably be quite as large as last year.
An extended cultivation next season is expected to
be the result of the high prices which have prevailed
since the close of the war, and of the apprehension
which exists of diminishing supplies from America.
The Collector of Meerut reports that the quality of
the cotton grown in that district last season was
finer than bad ever before been produced. Some of
it sent to Calcutta was declared to be so far superior
to anything that had previously been seen passing
through the Calcutta market, from either Bengal
or. the North West provinces, that it was hardly
believed to be from that part of India. Of this
cotton a large stock is said to be in the distri9t
awaiting purchasers, which was sure to find its way
to Calcutta when prices rise as they have since
done. The bazaar failures among speculating