reintroducing the cultivation, owing to
the decline in value of sugar. The department was actively assisted by
the British Cotton Growing Association, and the results have been very
successful, as was shown at an exhibition held in Manchester in 1908. A
supply of seed of a high grade of Sea Island cotton was obtained from
Colonel Rivers's estate in the Sea Islands, S. Carolina, and so
successful has the cultivation been that from some of the islands West
Indian Sea Island cotton obtains a higher price than the corresponding
grade of cotton from the Sea Islands themselves.

In 1902 the total area under cotton cultivation in the British West
Indies was 500 acres. The industry made rapid progress. In 1903 it was
4000; in 1905-1906 it was 12,900; and for 1906-1907 it was 18,166 acres.
The table indicates the chief cotton-producing islands, the acreage in
each, yield, average value per pound and total value of the crop in
1905-1906.

The whole of this crop was Sea Island cotton, with the exception of the
"Marie galante" grown in Carriacou. Marie galante is a harsh cotton of
the Peruvian or Brazilian type. The low yield per acre in this island,
and also the low value of the lint per lb. compared with the Sea Island
cotton, is clearly apparent.

In 1906-1907 the acreage was substantially increased in many of the
islands, e.g. Barbados from 2000 to 5000; St Vincent 790 to 1533; St
Kitts and Anguilla 1000 to 1500 each; Antigua 700 to 1883. In Jamaica,
on the other hand, it was reduced from 1500 to 300 acres.

_Spain._--Cotton was formerly grown in southern Spain on an extensive
scale, and as recently as during the American Civil War a crop of 8000
to 10,000 bales was obtained. It is considered that with facilities for
irrigation Andalusia could produce 150,000 bales annually. The former
industry was abandoned as other crops became more remunerative. The
government is encouraging recent efforts to re-establish the
cultivation.

_Malta._--Cotton has long been cultivated in Malta, but the acreage
diminished from 1750 acres in 1899 to 670 acres in 1906. A considerable
quantity of the produce is spun and woven locally; e.g. in 1904 the
export was equivalent to about 120 bales out of a total production of
330 bales, and in 1905 to 258 out of 333 bales (of 500 lb. each).

_Cyprus_ has a soil and climate suited to cotton, which was formerly
grown here on a large scale. The rainfall is uncertain and low, however,
never exceeding 4