, 1911-07-05
REMARKS.


The Ordinance Of II June 1909 for 81
Croix, prescribing measures against n
seases of the Cotton Plant, has in s 7. Tint
the Ordinance must be laid before the
Colonial Council for revision before In.
cloSe of the year l9ll.
The Commission constituted under that
Ordinance for the current year and of
winch the Director Of Agriculture has been
appointed chairman has very strongly re-
commended thpt the Ordinance be revised
already now i'll order that new prescrip-
tons can take effect on the present cotton
crop
A copy Of the proceedings Of the Com
mission on this matter IS herewith adiOined.
The Draft Of Ordinance is in accordance
with the proposals of the Commission.
only with a few alterations of the wording
Of some Of the paragraphs.
The Proceedings Of the Commission con-
stituted under the Ordinance Of IL June
1909 mentioned in the above remarks are
running as follows
For the year 1911 Me4srs. Sch niege!ow,
Thornberg, NeIthropp and KofoeI were Sc,
lected by the Colonial Council as members
of the Cotton Commission mentioned in s 3
of the Ordinance for St. Croix of the llth
June 1903 prescribing measures against
diseases Of the Cotton Pant.
DR.: Longfi-ld Smith was app 1intel Chair
man Of he Commission by the Government.
The first meeting Of the Commission was
held in the Government Building, Chri,tian-
sted, on Monday 24th April. All OF the
members were present.
The Chairman gave an address in which
he pointed out the Importance Of the close
season for cotton prescribed by the Ordj-
nance, and the risk which planters woGlI
run Of having their crop ruined by disease
if some such measure did not exist. He
thought, however, that in its present form
the Ordinance was too drastic and that il
might be amended so as to cause less hard
ship to planters aud still preserve tue beue-
fits which the Ordinance undoubtedly con
fors. The amendments proposed by the
Chairman consisted in
l Abolishing the appointment by the
Commission, {. tho clearing period OF
1 weeks prescribed in par ! Of the Or
dinance Of the 18th June 1909; and sub
shutting for it n date before which
all cotton plants on an estate must bo
uprooted and burnt.
2 In arranging matters so that the data
fixed for the completion Of the uproot-
ing and burning of cotton plants, need
not necessarily be the same in all parts
of the island. Owing to- differences in
rainfall and other conditions, a close
season which suits the estates in one
part Of the island may not suit the e,-
tates in another part. Where estates
are separated from one another by a
range of hills, or where estates are sepa-
rated by one OF two miles, and prevail
ing winds are not likely to carry disease
from one to the other, there is no neces-
sity for the close season to be the same
unless the planters wish it.
3. lu arranglng matters SO that the close
season might in any year be made,a pc
Rod of two or three weeks only instead
of the four weeks prescribed by the
Ordinance of 18th June 1909.
The members Of the Commission uuaui-
mously expressed themselves IN entire agree
ment with the views of the Chairman as to
the necessity for a close season. They were
also unanimously of opinion that the amend
ments to the Ordinance of the 18th June
1909 proposed by the Chairman would make
the Ordinance much less drastic and they
asked the Chairman to see His Excellency
the Governor on the subject and beg him to