COTTON GROWING.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 October 1925, Page 1

COTTON GROWING.

WORTH TRYING IN NEW ZEA LAND.

WELLINGTON. Oct. 8. The lion. Crawford Vaughan, onetime Premier of South Australia, who is at present in Wellington, considers that cotton is an excellent industry for i-’ absorption of immigrants, as it requires -o little capital, and gives such quirk returns. Mr Vaughan is an authority on cotton-growing, as for some year.- lie held the position ol managing ,Lector of the Hrit isli-Aust ralasian Cotton A.-sorialinti. Ltd. Aft er encaging in war work in France am! England, Alt' Vaughan turned his attention to the possibilities "f cotton-growing within the Empire. lie informed a reporter yesterday that British manufacturers, alter the war. were somewhat concerned about Britain's dependence upon America iur supplies of cotton, and instituted inquiries with a view in ascertaining il the Empire could not be self-support ins; ill this icspcct. This led to tlm formation of the llrit ish-A list ralasian Cotton Association. Ltd.

The industry, explained Mr \ nughan. was now well established in Australia. The association had erected six ginning plants in Queensland, and one in New Smit h Wales, and a cot ton-seed oil null at Brisbane. The company had expended (J 500.098 in establishing tin* industry. Besides vliat the association had done, Messrs Bond and (n.. a wellknown hosiery firm, had erected a -pin-: nine; and weaving mill at Sydney at a cost of £1511.<:90. The Cnnuiinnwcallh Government had assisted the industry l,v guaranteeing a fixe,l price (n grovv-

A- -Imv.ing the strides the industr; has made. Mr Vaughan mentioned ihai in |M|9-'2U. -Vi.CMOlb of rollon had been produced in Australia, and thi. had increased each year until in the K l '-’ t-'J.i

season 1 7.000.1 >ot>. equal to I'J.BOO bales, bad been prodiu rd. T lie pro,ln, Imu "I cot toil-seed meal and cot juti-seed ''.,i;e was regarded in Australia as important to tlte. dairying industry, am! theie was |,ig demand for rot toll-seed oil l'"f iiuiuufai l tiring such prmluetx as margarine. salad oil-, snap, oil-elm hs. and compound lards. I,interns, the hull which was left after the seed had I con taken out. was also valuable for mattress making. There was, said Mr Vaughan, about .pt.ono acres available in Australia lor cotton-growing, and this wa- prubabl; as large an area as was available ill the ('nited Stic-, lie mentioned that hist Year the State ot I exas had proditeod cotton in tho value <9 £IoO.OIIO.CUd. three times the value of the Australian wv.nl clip. "Do vou , oit-ider New Zt-aiaild v.mnd he suitable for rollon growing'" the visitor was asked, -j think il would be very dnubtiul if cut ton w ould grow in New Zealand south, of Auckland. ' lie replied. lot it would be worth experimenting with in the Ear North, ft does not require rich country, as long as the soil i dee)) and is not water-logged. Cotton iplauied 111iicli the saute as* maize, toil the plants are thinned out to about 15 incites apart. Me go in lot highgrade rollon in Australia, and - > tar all the cotton shipped has reached a premium. The Anierieun cotton “-‘‘j stretches from the H< ill to the I'Jud parallel, so that the northern part, of the Dominion should prove .suitable. With the supply ot hydro-elect rie pun- ■ •;' volt posse", you -InHlld be a >.e to make cotton growing a profitable ''em

tun*. . Mr Vaughan stated that two Scotelimeu he knew bad settled in I P"' 1 ' Burnett, in Queensland, and bail taken Cjgnt) hy cotton growing oft eleven nrteafter tiiev had been in the country on.y eleven month-. In that time they Imd cleared, cultivated, grown, and picked 1 be crop. ■1 ,1,, 1r "t vi-h It to !“■ umlmMoo'!. eolieltilled Mr Vaughan, “that I -at that cotton growing would prove -,a - i,, Yew Zealand, bur it is well worth a trial. It should certainly be worth trviug in the Cook Islands.