Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-08-07

VIII not, however, be productive OF nail the good II
is capable OF until heavier postage is levied upon
letters which are not prepaid than is upon those
that So far as | can understand Mr.. Cave
Johnson's rules, they appear 10 me clumsy and in
efficient. There was full account of this prepaid
stamp system in your paper about two years ago.
Ii your Postmaster would condescend to look at it
he might get good hint or two Nevertheless, he
has made good beginning in the adoption of the
stamp. The cheap-postage system works well in
England. The penny rate commenced 10th Janu-
airy, $40 The letters delivered in the United
Kingdom were
During the week which ended Nov. "A, 1899. $685. 973
In that which ended Dec 30, 1889 ...... :, OOS, 6s7
In that which (undcr the penny rate) ended Novem-
Der q, 1916 !, $50, 704
And in the week which ended April q, s47 l4s $40
With respect to the great absorbing subject, the
Harvest, it appears to be now generally allowed
that we have not been favored with heavier or
more luXurlant crop for many years. Grain and
green crops never looked BETTER and all give pro-
mise of an early and abundant harvest. Through
out Europe, also, the same delightful prospect is
exhibited. few weeks more of this bright sunny
weather and all will be safe. The heat during this
last week has been excessive, 81 to 80 in the shade
great heat for this latitude, and fully as oppressive
ten degrees above those numbers are with you
arising probably from the general dampness Of this
atmosphere and the dryness of yours There is
reason to hope that Lord John Russell's prediction
OF failure in the potato crop to great extent III
Ireland will not be realized in England. The crop
is most uxurant one /; and, though its uncertain
nature has been too clearly proved during the last
two years. SO far as be judged from present ap-
pearances there is every reason to anticipate good
and plentiful return. The quantity of land planted
with potatoes in England this year, however, is not
more than two-thirds Of what was so cultivated in
1916, whilst in Ireland it has been calculated that
the crop OF 1917 is not more than onesixth of that
OF 1916 in extent If this be the case, and il also
be fact that it requires three acres Of grain TO pro-
duce as much food as one acre of potatoes, there
will be great demand for grain of some kind or
other
There is nothing which occurred at the late meet
ing of the British Association y Of more interest
to the mercantile community on both sides of the
Atlantic than the paper which was read by Profess
sor Royle on "1he Statistics ofthe Cotton Trade.
The subject more specifically was " On the imports
OF Indian, as compared with the prices of American
cotton" The experiments which have been made
by the East India Company for the improvement of
the culture and cleaning of cotton in the northwest
Of India have failed, from the excessive dryness of
the seasons during which they had been made; but
II Is thought that cotton may be successfully cult
waited in Bundelcund and with the aid of irrigation
in the neighborhood of the Ganges and the Jumna,
as in the similar climate of Egypt, when the great
canal now making is completed. In the Peninsula
Of India the success has been considerable Cotton
from this district may, DIR. Royle thinks, be landed
at Liverpool for about I'd. per pound. He states
that the ryots (farmers) only want 9 purchasers
and honest prices" and that rise of farhng per
pound in the local market would greatly extend the
culture of cotton. Thirty-four bales Of cotton have
been sent from this district to Liverpool, valued at
CID. pound, and considered equal to & fair New
Orleans" This, after paying 3id. for the expense
of conveyance from the place of growth, leaves 34d.
for the grower.
In the Southern Mahratta country, especially
near the Dharwar, the culture of cotton has attained
complete success under Mr.. Mercer, the intelli-
gent American planter" The natives, encouraged
by the Government experiments, seeing more cot
ton produced from the new seed introduced, and a
better price obtained even from the weavers in the
interior, extended their cultivation last wear to about
thirty thousand acres and have succeeded in cleans
ing their cotton by the improved gin, so that some
OF their crop Ito the extent of hundred and SIX
ty-two bales) has been valued at Liverpool at Cd.
and cd. per pound. The climate here1s consider
ed by Mr.. Mercer TO be like that of South Carolina,
and the seed he found returning to its original cha
dlSO SldleS tldl uleTe is abundance OF
land fitted for cotton culture, and that nothing is re-
quired but regular demand to have the land cover
ed with cotton. Indian cotton is known to be pos
sessed of certain good qualities, such as its color,
the readiness with which it takes color in dying,
and its great swelling in the process of bleaching.
Both the latter effects are probably owing to its
being grown in comparatively dry climate. The
chief cause which has hitherto prevented the ready
consumption of Indian cotton in the English manu-
factories is the dirty state in chic Il is sent 10
market. The cutvator,' DR.. Royle says, picks
: his cotton carelessy enough but he sells it in
: comparatively clean state 10 the wdkhdry, Tor
middle man, who wishing to increase his profit,
: does so by increasing the weight of his cotton,
and meets fall in price by still further adultera-
ton with inferior cotton, cotton in seed, seed fine
sand &C."
The average price for upland American cotton
for the IA years from 1903 TO 1921, was l54d. 10
24d. per pound. That Of Indian or Surats, l34d.
TO sd.
The average of American for the IA years end
ing with 1871, was sgd. to sd. That of Indian,
3 d. to 64d.
10 ls45 the average Of American cotton was
about AID. That of Indian from Q I'd. to 3D.. per
pound.
The average exports of Indian cotton for the five
years previous to 1925 was 39,567 bales ; that of
1914 was 233,43S bales; that of 1916 only