The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-03-08
SEA ISLAND COTTON
By Frederic J. Haskin

Will sea island cotton save the West
indies? This question is being asked
daily Throughout the long stretch of
islands extending from the British
Virgin group to British Guiana on
the mainland of South America.
Tackled by the influence of the Brit
Ieh government, all the resources of
science and the wealth of the English
SINNERS and dealers, the planters in
the islands believe they can answer
the question in the affirmative.
Sea island cotton was intro <lced
in the West Indies as an experiment
in the first years of the present cen.
tury but did not begin to attract wide
attention until 1904. Then shipments
totaIing $685. pounds of ~high-grade
cotton from St. Kits and Nevis caused
The American raiSerS to tax notice.
From that date the increase in West
india cotton has been the talk Of the
English manufacturers. In 1905 the
crop for a few islands was 263.ITS
pounds. a phenomenal advance. and
in 1906 the crop was 526,456 pounds
more than q quarter million pounds
over what it was years before.
These figures made UGH m impress
sion upon the minds. of the American
planters that they are sale to have
reached a decision not to let the West
indies have any more of their seed.
There * the crux OF the situation, and
the English planters are waiting hope
fully to learn whether they can con-
tinue on their present prosperous way,
or whether in the course Of time
their transplanted seed will become
Initiated and they will be at the end
OF their rope for lack of fresh stock.
Scientific propagation of all OBJ
taiuabie varieties for producing seed
has been under way in Barbados for
several years, and the planters of St.
- .,1 A+l,ar ylnaA1 n-n NOW hDN vi n q
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 o~VerdeVelop
ment.
Experiments.
The imperial department of agri-
culture is doing & splendid work. It's
specially is botanical gardens. where
an incessant effort is made to acclima-
tie the native products Of one sec
ton OF the empire in another. 1T Is
constantly growing new things II
strange places, and because OF the
Worldwide extent of its feeders 1T
colonies in every corner Of the globe
it has exceptional opportunities foi
experiments in tra~nsplanting. The DO
tanical garden at Dominica, IN rich
ness and completeness is said TO stand
second only to the famous one IN Cey-
lon.
Cotton was eagerly seized upon BY
the department and is being treated
along practical lines. Not only d.
the government experts watch witt
minute care the crops they are grow
ing in the official garden. but they
go into the plantations. When the.
see a particularly hardy plant viii
desirable individual characteristics
they mark it. From this time tht
plant is watched closely and If at The
time Of picking it seems better and
more hardy than its fellows, 1t is Sc
apart and its seed planted over anC
over again to discoVe whether it Wa'
merely a sport or d useful, perma.
nent variation. By such methods i
is hoped TO develop special varietie:
for every island. exactly suited To th'
conditions under which they first ap
peared.
The spread Of sea island cotton wa
largely due to the work Of Mir. +
wade, of London, who began, in 1904
with q plantation in MOntSerrat tina
was $4,000 in debt. Today it is sait
10 be free of all membranes ant
to DE paying handsomely. Last yea.
one plantation Of sixty acres IN 81
Kites cleared s.. 000, largely becaus'
Of cotton. Estates that ten years ag'
could have been bought for a sons
are now rated like corner lots IN
boom town. The boom eVentuall
will strike its normal level. but if tn
cotton does not deterioratc the lam
will still remain enormously valuable
Differences i'll Quality.
Thcr" arc few plants so thorough,
dependent upon the location Of tn
ground III relation TO the ocean as Sc;
island cotton. and the differences II
quality and quantity in areas sharpl.
bounded are astonishing. For IN
stance. ST. Ninvcnt, in the Windwar'
group. four degrees south OF 81
Kits. is said to produce the tines
cotton in the West Indies, a grade tina
sells Tor l. to Is cents more THAI
the St. Kits product. In st. KIT
there is an area about three mile
square which produces az high as Sd
pounds of lint per acre. tbs IS al
especially favored spot on the soutl
siia OF ihn iSIand. protected from tn