Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-04

VIII Sea Island cotton save the West
Indies1 This question Is being asked daily
throughout the long stretch Of islands ex-
tending from the British Virgin group to
British Guiana on the mainland OF South
America. Backed by the influence OF the
British government, all the resources Of
science and the wealth Of the English
spinners and dealers. the planters In the
Islands believe they can answer the aues-
ton In the affirmative.
Sea Island cotton was introduced in the
West Indies as an experiment in the first
years OF the present century, but did not
begin to attract wide attention until 1904.
Then shipments totalling secs pounds OF
high grade cotton from st. Kits and
Nevis caused the American raisers to take
notice. From that date the Increase in
West India cotton has been the talk OF
the English manufacturers. In 1865 the crop
for a few islands was PCS, rs pounds, a
phenomenal advance, and in 1906 the crop
was 800. 456 pounds, more than $50 900 pounds
over what It was two years before
These figures made such an Impression
upon the minds OF the American planters
that they are said to have reached a de-
eision not TO let the West Indies have any
more OF their seed. There is the crux Of
the situation, and the English planters are
waiting hopefully TO learn whether they
can continue on their present prosperous
way, or whether in the course Of time
their transplanted seed will become vitated
and they will be at the end Of their rope
for lack OF fresh stock.
Scientific propagation Of all obtainable
varieties for producing seed has been under
way In Barbados for several years, and
the planters Of st. Kits and other places
are now buying their seed there, paying IA
cents per pound. But, while the Barbados
seed is giving excellent satisfaction there
is the lingering suspicion that some day
that also will weaken under the strain Of
inbreeding or over development.
The Imperial Department of Agriculture
is doing a splendid work. It's speciality is
botanical gardens where an incessant eff
fort is made to acclimatize the native pro-
ducts Of one section of the empire in an
other. 1t is constantly growing new things
in strange places, and because of the world
wide extent Of it's feeders in colonies in
every corner Of the globe, it has excep-
tional opportunities for experiments in
transplanting. The botanical garden at
Dominica, in richness and completeness. it
said to stand second only to the famous
one in Ceylon.
Cotton was eagerly seized upon by the
department and is being treated along
practical lines. Not only do the govern
ment experts watch with minute care
the crops they are growing in the official
garden, but they go into the plantations.
When they see a particularly hardy plant
with desirable individual characteristics,
they mark II. From this time the plant is
watched closely and, II at the time of
picking. 1t seems better and more hardy
than It's fellows, 1t is set apart and its
seed planted over and oyer again to dis
cover whether It was merely a sport"
or a useful, permanent variation. By
such methods it Is hoped to develop spe-
cial varieties for every island, exactly
suited to the conditions under which they
first appeared. -
The spread of Sea island cotton was
largely due to work of Mr.. p. Wade Of
London. who began in 1904 with a plan
tation in Montserrat that was. $4,000 in
debt. Today 1t is said TO che free of all
membranes and to DE 7paying hand
somely. Last year one plantation of sixty
acres in St. Kits cleaned $1,000. largely
because Of cotton. Estates shat ten years
ago could have been bought for a song
are now TuIeu OlhcA lONS III O WYNN
town. The boom eventually will strike It's
normal level, but it the cotton does not de-
teriorate, the land will still remain enor-
mously valuable.
There are few plants so thoroughly de-
pendent upon the location of the ground
in relation to the ocean as Sea island cot
ton, and the differences in quality and
quantity in areas sharply bounded are as
tonishing. For instance, st. Vincent, in the
windward group, four degrees south OF st.
Kits, is said to produce the finest cot
ton In the West indies, a grade that sells
from 70 to IS cents more than the st. Kits
product. In st. Kits there is an area
about three miles square. which produces
as high as 800 pounds of lint per acre.
This is an especially favored spot on the
south side of the island. protected from the
| northeast gales. A yield of $50 pounds is
obtained In other spots on this island where
It will grow profitably at all. Nevis, ten
miles from st. kits, gets but a paltry
100 pounds per acre. while Montserrat, forty