The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1862-02-11
1THE COTTON BELT.


and the region adapted to its growth. lie sets
out with the broad assertion that the Southern
States alone possess the conditions OF climate and
SOIL essential to the production OF cotton suitable
to commerce and profitable to industry. -
In India, where England has made SO many
efforts and spent so much money, to naturallze
the plant, the climate is very untayorable to its
cultivation There is too long a wet spell, and
too long dry one The heat is too intense and
the winds are very destructive to the plant. Be
sides, the seed has to be renewed every year, and
only seed from the Southern States will come to
maturity. This fact puts the whole crop at the
mercy of this country. If we refuse the seed,
there will be no yield.
The same difficulties apply to Central Africa
too much rain, and too much heat, and too
much drought. In Algeria, the French have
spared no cost or pains, and the result has been
total failure. The soil is favorable, but the
climate is fatal-too much heat-no dews in
summer, and torrential rains in autumn.
In China, the consumption of cotton is in ex
cess of the producton-and several hundred
thousand bales annually imported. L. Brazil,
the crop is small and not capable of being in
creased, account of the excessive heat the
ravages of insects, and the long continued rains
and drought. The same causes apply to all South
America, to Central America and TO Mexico.
In Egypt, the culture is limited to the Delta,
and the amount of crop depends upon the rise of
the Nile. In the most favorable seasons, the crop
has never exceeded $4,000 bales.
In Syria, the plant is small and yields too little
to pay for the labor In Italy and Sicily, the
production is not adequate to the consumption.
1t is very common error, says NJ. Bellot, to
consider countries of high temperature the best
for cotton. Too much heat is as injurious as too
much cold. In word cotton will only flourish
in those countries where there is sufficient cold to
destroy the insects, without arresting the growth
of the plant. The Southern States are blessed
with this temperature; which is unknown in
Africa, in the greater part of India and in
all the tropics. Neither can cotton be success
fully grown in countries where the atmospheric
variations divided into two seasons, one rainy
and the other dry. The superintendent rains of
the Tropics give to the plant an unhealthy growth;
and the excessive heat, moisture, causes the
bloom to fall and Injuries the quality of the article
The Southern States alone possess the COM
bined requisites Of soil and climate for its full and
profitable growth. The Of this high priv
lege is to be found in their situation between the
Gulfstream and the Rocky MISUNDERSTANDING
that peculiar temperature to be found nowhere
else.
England has been striving for fifty years, and
striving III vain to make herself independent of
the cotton of the South IF labor and gold could
have effected the Object she would have attained
it. M. Bellot does not believe her present ex-
pertinent will have any better success than her
former But il she could succeed in obtain
ing enough cotton to keep her spindles running
it would be Of quality inferior to that of Amer
lea; and France and other manufacturing coun-
tries that should adhere to the American, would
by using the better article, drive English goods
out of all the markets of the world.
But, we all know THAI English stocks are run
ming low, and that with all the supplies that tho
old and world eau yield her, her spndles
must soon become idle |: is only question of
months Five millions of English derive the
means of subsistence, directly indirectly, from
the manufacture Of this article. Without it, they
must be reduced to starvation or bcggary. 1t
may be that the British Government would, sooner
than incur the expense Of war; undertake to
support these paupers out of the treasury, if it
could see the certainty of cotton supply at an
early day. The Yankees have been promising
this supply, by opening Southern port Posi-
bly, England has been to some extent deluded
But she must see the imposition-as the
Yankees compelled to go to Liverpool for
their own supplies. A few months or less,
must then determine the queStion.-Richmond
Hbig.
AN INcIDENT.-One of the officers of the Brit
ish steamer Trent relates the following incident
which happened at the time Of Mason and Siidell S
seizure from that vessel
"When all the confusion and excitement was at
its full height, was struck at the appearance of
thick set, elderly gentleman, sitting on the lal
of an arm chair, atentively listening to all that
going forward on the quarter deck, but never
altering his positions cooliy putting his segar, he
seemed perfectly Indifferent 20 every thing and
every body around him. He went to the COM
panionway once and, unseen as he thought,
quietly !oosened cutlass. That, sir, was a man
who, in practical way, has done the Northern
cause more harm than any one else. When the
U. s. officers left the vessel had they only known
who they left behind, they would have bitten their
nails thronch with Yexatinn. | did not know w hn