Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-04
Some Things You Want to Know
Sea Island Cotton.

miles away. gets $50 pounds. Apparently
only continued planting determines who
is the drawer OF a lucky location in the
cotton land lottery. In st. kits the area
Of maximum production is defined almost
as sharply as II by a fence.
The boil wesvil has not reached the
islands where cotton is doing so well. but
the planters are doing a vast amount OF
spraying to head off such pests. They
have a horrible example in Antigua, where,
during the last two years. the cotton bud
maggot injured the crop to badly that the
enterprise was nearly abandoned. How
ever. the landlords took heart once more
and now have 800 acres in cotton. This is
reported to be doing well. because the
weather was hot and dry in the last bud
ding season. a condition the maEgot can
not abide. To further the war on pests,
the imperial Department Of Agriculture
undertakes to buy and disinfect any new
seed brought into an island. and to watch
It afterward to see whether the dlsln-
fectant was effective.
Tobacco and sugar were formerly the
great staples Of the Caribbean, but tobacco
growing died a natural death and sugar
was scarcely paying when cotton doomed
OH TIC AOElAOHs WIN " EhAAAN y RAVNN
Dental discovery. This was that cotton
is planted in May and June and picked in
November-the month for planting sugar
cam Hence, no time need be lost between
seasons. The discovery again made cane
a valuable asset where cotton was raised.
1t was a case Of killing two birds with
one stone, most Of the preliminary work
for the cane being incidental to the cotton
cultivation. This double filling is con-
tinued two years, then the ground Is
planted in pigeon peas, which are later
plowed under as nourishment for the soil
The other fertilizers are Of the chemical
kind and are imported from the United
States.
Ginning facilities have been provided In
st. kits and other big producing islands,
and $27 per ton is paid for seed. The cot
ton seed oil is shipped to Barbados for re-
filming. The st. kits bale weighs 622
pounds, and the freight on It to Liverpool
is about A.37 per bale.
A socialistic departure made by the I'm
perial Department of Agriculture should
be a matter of interest to students Of
economies and advocates of government
ownership. Cotton was introduced in the
Virgin islands by the government expert
DltnI bldLlOu. IL ulu we'll, AZ lndl IlIUt
the sole industries in the islands were fish
ing and raising a few cattle and sheep.
The scientists furnished seed to peasants
living near and persuaded them to try it.
These pioneers soon found that cotton paid
them and the industry became general.
However, the inhabitants Of the Virgin
islands were exceedingly poor, and all to-
gether could not raise funds for a gin.
The department entered the commercial
field by building a gin and offering to buy
cotton in small lots at the usual rates.
An outlet for their products having been
found, the islanders Of course raised more
cotton. The ginnery is run on strictly
honest commercial lines and the profits
go to the government. The experiment in
the Virgin islands has worked so we'll h
the income from the ginnery equals all
other revenues of the government put to-
gether.
The government has fostered the enter.
prise in other islands by advancing money
to the planters. The manner of collecting
these loans was to levy an export tax OF
cent per pound. But the government is
now anxious to get out, feeling that the
industry is we'll enough established to
support itself. One objection to the ex-
port duty was that it was a flat rate,
being the same for inferior cotton selling
at 10 cents per pound as on that selling at
So cents.
To take the place of the government as
a sort of wet nurse to cotton growing, the
British Cotton Growing association has
been Incorporated by royal charter. It is
lending money where assistance is needed,
Among other things, It undertakes to act
as a commission and clearing house for
the crop. provides cheap insurance, fur
nishes cheap transportation from the is
lands to Liverpool or Southampton, has
agents who encourage the tenants, and
publishes timely and valuable bulletins in
addition to those issued by the govern
ment. Among the associations members
in counci are about fifty OF England's
biggest men in the cotton business, in
Guiding spinners, dyers. printers, weavers.
representatives of labor organizations and
members of the nobility. The association
also has a West African branch.
BY FREDERIC ]. HAsKm.
Tomorrow-"Curing the insane"