The Nevada Democrat., 1861-04-18
rs COTTON KING

1t may be q matter of some interest for
agricultural readers just now, to look AZ
the possible bearing Of any disturbances m
the South which may interfere with the
usual supply of cotton. As it is claimed
that Gotten is King" we ought TO know
its pedigree and legitimate claims (ifit have
any to bear its name and sway. OF the
importance and value of cotton as a textile
fabric, there can be no doubt. Bot It sbonld
be borne in mind that flbrous plants are
very numerous, and that the Almighty has
not shut Us up TO one source, important "a
it may be, for our supply OF vepetable
clothing. There are probably fifty differ
ent species Of plants which yield vegetable
fibre 10 such form as to be useful ia some
degree, aud under favorable circumstances.
for the manufacture Of cordage, paper and
cloth. Ia addition to this, we have the
wool and hair of different animals. either
domestic or capable Of being domesticated,
We have the various variety of the silk
worm, some of which like that lately intro
duced Into France from the East. can be
cheaply fed and reared, and made 10 uro.
duce coarse fabric suitable in point of
cbeapness for common wear. II NAV be
said that none Of these have been proven
equal IN cheapness and excellence to the
cotton. But it may be answered that no
man can predict the effect Of the annlica.
ti0n of scientific and inventive intellect IN
the general subject Of textile fibres under
the impulse of necessity. The inventions
of Hargreaves and ArkwriRht. In En0land
and of Whitney, In this country. acfnaIlv
created the cotton culture Ia the Sonth and
the cotton manufacture Ia England. 1t is
unsafe for politicians or economists m nre.
sumo on peculiar advantages which the Gre
a'or mas given 10 any one country or eli
mate. Tnere Is a law Of compensation
which presides over all Gods blessings. Il
may Oe DOUBTED whether cotton Is "King''
at all, aud with still better reason, may il
De doubted whether the cotton Of the Gulf
States OF North America Is "KinR."
Let us look at the matter few moments.
Cotton grows freely in almost all the warm
countries OF the globe. In almost all these
countries lt may be supplied to an indeh
mite extent. The limitation upon its pro.
duction is either the lack of civilization.
and government which cannot protect
regular labor, as 10 Africa; or ia the means
Of transporting 1t to market, as IN India.
II IS well known that half q century ago
IDdla was the great cotton growing and
manufacturing country Of the world. Our
older readers can remember when "India
Cottons" were common in our own conn
try. What has changed all this. and en-.
abled Old and New England to carry cotton
fabrics to lndiaf 1t is not that India has
ceased TO raise cotton, or weave Il. for a
hundred millions OF people are clothed with
cotton of their. own raising. Il is because
English and American talent has applied
machinery to clean, and spin, and weave
the cotton, so that by these means tbey are
able to enter into q successful competition
even with the marvelOusly cheap labor Of
the rlce-eatlng natives Of India and China.
In this way England, herself, has thrown
her fabrics made OF American cotton into
India, and BY reducing the demand OF
raw cotton there, has reduced the amount
grown. Raw cotton Is easier obtained
from America than from India, for want Of
the means OF transportation over the i'm
mense distances between the cotton fields
aud The Indian sea ports. The quality of
the American article is better, but this de-
pends In great measure en- the skill Of the
cultlvator. The railroad system Of the
English In India Is now about coming into
activity. aud this will enable the natives 10
reach market with ell the cotton thev NAV
have q demand for. 1t may be safely said
that 10 five years time India may be made
to supply very large part, If not the whole
OF the English demand for raw cottOn.---
Rural New Yorker.