The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-24

of British Central Africa the details of exports are interesting as containing the first mention O the export of cotton. Last spring 500 acres were under cotton culti- walton, and it is expected that by Decem" Der there will be 40O0 acres.
 Rhodesia.-The Secretary of the Depart ment of Agriculture says: There seems no doubt that good cotton can be grown in Rhodesia, but 1t Is doubtful whether, with our inadequate and inferior labor supply 1t can be grown at a profit However, the British South African Com pany is making extensive experiments.
 West Indies.
 Efforts are being made to revive the cotton growing industry in Jamaica. Sea Island seed has been procured from the United States Department of Agriculture. Sea Island cotton is a native of the Bar bados. and the government has undertak- en to encourage It's cultivation. Trinidad has sent to England some samples Of cotton grown there. Cotton Is also be- ing grown on St. Christopher. St. Lucia, and the Bahamas, and the outlook Is re. ported as favorable. Next January and February 70 acres of high-grade cotton will be planted in Antigua. There are now 4,OOO acres under cotton cultivation in the smaller islands of the West Indies. During the summer a sample of Sea Is- land cotton was received at Liverpooi from Barbados, and 1t was declared 10 pc the best cotton ever seen In England. on August 26, 1-4 tons of Sea Island cotton from the West Indies were sold at Liver pool at 26 cents per pound; other @ Sea Island cotton from the West Indies brought from N to 24 cents, and West Indian ''uplands'' brought IA 1-2 cents. It is said that at the close or the eighteenth century 70 per cent of the cotton imported into England came from the West Indies. but cotton grow ing was gradually supplanted by sugar. cane culture.
 British Guiana.
 The governor of this colony says that cotton grows wild there, and that from time immemorial it has been cultivated bv the Indians In the earlier years or inc last century from 600O,OO0 to 1O,00O,00O pounds of cotton were exported annually but the trade has ceased for many years If is suggested that the vast stretches of land along the seaboard be dralneo and devoted to cotton cultivation An as- sociation has been formed in the colony to make cotton growing supplemehtal to the sugar industry.
 British Honduras.
 Cotton grows in wild state through out British Honduras. American growers are negotiating for the purchase of land for cotton cultivation. It is reported that those back of this enterprise have in view the exportation of the product to the United States and not to England. India.
 A movement is on foot in India to not only increase the quantity. but what is more important, to improve the quality of the cotton. It is believed that India could produce an additional million bales of a quality that would find ready mar ket in Lancashire Upper Burma is par ticularly spoken of in this connection.
 Ceylon.
 There has just been established by the Government of Ceylon a cotton eXper- ment station of 15O acres An American superintendent is expected, and Indian seed and laborers are being procured.
 Australia.
 Attention is being paid to the question in central Queensland. and experimental stations are to be established The diff acuIty of procuring cheap and suitable labor will probably prevent the success of cotton growing in this colony.
 Egypt.
 The consumption of Egyptian cotton IS increasing in England. In 1890 the United Kingdom imported 1,61S, AS cwts uSl,266,l1S pounds) and in 1902 the amount was 3,1GS,- 6e7 cwts. (354. .S94, ,O64 pounds.) The expor- tation of raw cotton from England to the United States is comparatively small, but is steadily increasing. In 1890 the ex- portations were only 63.979 cwts. G,O64, ,Sl3 pounds), while in 1902 the figures grew to 65O. .667 cwts (72,S742O4 pounds. Most of these shipments were of Egyptian cot ton. In the United States, as in England, there Is a developing demand for Egyptian cotton for mixing (for high grade goods) and also for mercerizing. The wonderful system of water storage and irrigation recently established on the Nile under British auspices has greatly increased the acreage of cotton culti- vation. It Is said that the Egyptian crop this year will be 9S.OO00O0 pounds more than that of last year.