Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-03-06
'gbe Obio 5tatesma1r
rERMs. T K 9
THE COTTON QUESTION.
Tho Southern States the Only Reliable Cotton
Region in the World-The Cotton Experiment
in India and its Failure. q

Tho Southern States the Only Reliable Cottol
Region in the World-The Cotton Experimen
in india and its Failure. .
From lengthy article In the New York Her
aid on the "Future Growth and Supply of Cot
ton"--the great topic of the dsy--we make tn
following extracts;
THE AMERICAN SOUTHERN STATES THE ONLY RELiA.
BLE COTTON REGION IN THE WORLD.
We possess the only extensive and reliabl,
cotton region In the world. All thoughts O.
rivalry or hopes Of its supplies being superseded
by other regions are totally absurd, and are only
entertained by visionary men,or by those who
are ignorant of its cultivation, ...
We must understand that there are about
fifty varieties Of the gosypium, or cotton plant
and that out OF the whole number there arc on
ly about four cultivated for commercial purpo-
ses, each of which is an annual, and requires
replanting every year. The perennial cotton
trees of the tropics are wholly useless, so far as
the quantity or quality is concerned; their pods,
or bolls, are email and comparatively few to
the tree, while the fiber of the cotton Is coarse
harsh and brittle. We must comprehend the
fact that the annual plants cultivated in the
United States are only adapted to climate
where rain and sunshine alternate, with sufa-
cient heat to mature the plants and that they will
not stand the extremes Of drought and rain
common to all intertropicel latitudes, when the
only plan which can be employed in rearing
them consists in irrigation-a method too arti.
fetal and expensive ever to be employed on O
large scale; hence, when we hear that India,
Africa, Algeria, Egypt or Central America is to
compete with the United States, we know that
the thing is simply impossible.
In the United States the northern limits OF
the cotton culture are bounded by 81 to Sc de.
grees north latitude, omitting intervening
mountainous elevations and strips of sterile
soil; and by the shores of the Atlantic Ocean
and the Gulf of Mexico (the latter being in lat.
itude % to 80 degrees) on the south. This cot.
ton region extends around the Gulf of Mexico
through Texas to tho mouth of the Rio Grande
on the southwest, and stretches in north
easterly and south.westerly direction from about
the longitude of 76 degrees 30 minutes to SO
degrees west of Greenwich.
The main cause of the fertility of the coun-
try thus described is attributable to the great
basin of water known as the Gulf of Mexico
and the Gulf Stream, which passes out paral.
lei with tho shores of the Southern Cotton
States. The water of the Mexican Gulf, heated
by the rays Of a tropical sun, causes an in.
mense evaporation, which, in expanding or
drifting north. or toward the elevated IsnSs
east and vest Of the Mississippi. il condsnssS
by cold air, and produces freouent sboCera dn.
ring the warm months of spripp and summer.
and which are the life of the cotton nIants
similar process takes place along the Sontbern
Atlantic States, The eyaporstion from tba
Gulf Stream is condensed by the cooler air of
the Allepanies, Thus we have an immensa re-
gion of cotton lands owes which natnre has
established the most wonderful aystem of jrr;I
CATION known in the world. IN comh;no t;on
with the proper amount Of heat and richness NJ
soil. When we consider that these great phxs.
ical advantages have been united Tith anter-
prise, ekill and slave institutions managed nv
American intellect, under free institutions ali
tending to their development, promoted bv ths
only fSed labor suitable to the cultnre of COT
ton, we shall experience no difficulty in compre.
hending why the United States enjoy a monopo.
ly 10 its production. - : t.'..'
THE COTTON EXPERIMENT. IN ,un,. ANN IN.
:. mar. - '> '"1" ""D 't' '' Az
T. ,eAou H. r.. ...
in ae.o .ne non n Eas' Inaia Company sent
IL. ~ aSen. " = sno on,'eu o'ates' WIN care
o.a"'s. 90 W eApsuses' ne engaged tne serVi'
ses VI sen nner,ean cotson growers
@Aen ,rom 'ne psss cosson uistlcts OF tine coun'
TIy ai meie run Mississippi, TWO from
Ios'sa, .L si .1.eo ilom rt niaoatna, ana TWO or
snaes aS nom eeoisa iney were engaged ut
soou sais,e'' rl Tnu pounu W remain IN indla nVe
yss.s .,,' 1aon s lucy were supplied win large
gaaa.s ;n. n,o - .ns Dess ercan seeo, cotton
ss: pows noe', yDs'vnPresses, anu every pos