Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-05-21
CULTURE OF COTTON.

|
CULTURE OF COTTON.
The principal export of the U. States
to Europe, and the only one from the
Southern division of our country, which
commands reasonable prices and regular
sales, is COTTON. The consequence is
that it's culture is becoming every day
more extensive, notwithstanding its re
duction in price. A considerable quaint
ty is now made for expectation in North
Carolina, where formerly no more was
made than was necessary for domestic
purposes and the cultivation of it is ra-
pidly extending in that state, the land OF
which is found to be well adapted to its
growth. The same remarks, probably,
equally apply to Tennessee and to Vlrgl-
MIA. 1t has become question, OF course,
how far the foreign demand will sustain
the extended culture of this article or in
other words, what is the lowest price at
which cotton can be cultivated IN this
country without loss The last Enquir-
er contains sensible letter from gentle
| man who has travelled through the whole
of the Southern States with the express
view of acquiring information on this
subject, he being ga partner IN one OF the
first mercantile houses in Liverpool
His letter is is faithful recapitulation of
his observations in passing throug IN the
principal cotton and sugar country and
the result is summed up in the following
general observations, the correctness of
which we see no reason to doubt:
"The interest at present derived from
&C capital employed in the culture of cot
g ton varies, should imagine, according
to circumstances, from two or three to
I" twenty per cent: but it is so little the
custom to keep accurate accounts OF
plantations, that there is necessarily
scope for conjecture wherever sugar
{" can be cultivated, it is no doubt more
{" profitable than cotton. From an accu-
g rate estimate which obtained from an
g extensive practical planter who is very
&C exact in his accounts, it would appear
C that cotton at Is cents yields | 4-l3 per
{" cent and sugar at cents, Ga per cent.
{" on capital necessary to cultivate an es-
g tate in Louisiana of 1900 superficial ar
"pents"
The present price of cotton is, on the
average, about fifteen cents: of an indif
ferent quality it will not bring more
Perhaps it will be fair to say that 10 cents
is the minimum, and twenty cents the
maximum price. These prices, it is pro-
babe, will not vary much during the pre-
sent year. AS an article of commerce,
indeed, cotton is of far less fluctuating
value, and therefore more to be relied on
as crop than tobacco, or even than bread
stufIs Be there in Europe peace or war,
the population must be clothed. Cotton
NAV decline from fifteen cents to ten, but
it can hardly be so faithless friend as
-four has proved to be, in falling from Ia
dollars to less than four dollars barrel,
within period of three years.
The latest information from England
shews cotton to be on. the rise, and tobac-
co on the decline.
Loss OF THE SHIP JOHN CAMBRIDGE.
Copy of letter receiued from Captain
Hugh Steuart, Of the British ship
John Bdinbridge, to merchant in this
city, dated,
''Crooked Island, Cd April, 1921.
My Dear Sir
81 am sorry to have to aequaint you
with the loss of the ship John cambridge,
under circumstances the most unfortu-
nate quilted Portsmouth on the 10th
February, and having strong winds from
the w. ran to the S.; made Madeira, and
fell in with tremendous weather passed
through between Madeira and Salvages,
struck upon something, we suppose a
rock. ship all disabled on the starboard
bow, cutwater broke, and making three
feet water per hour winds then west
Bore up for Cadiz two days after, winds
came to N. E. a steady trade, and found
it impossible to get to any place in Eu-
rope. Bore up again, determined to per-
severe and reach you if possible got half
way across, when we had serve storm,
the leak then began to increase to feet
per hour. still retained hopes of reach
ing you, and continued to persevere until
the 30th March, when north of Crooked
Island, the wind strong at N. w. and hea-
Wy sea on, the leak gained upon both
pumps, which staggered me not little;