The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-05-28
COMMUNICATIONS.
New Cotton Fields.

Without entering at all into the discussion
rs to the true cotton field of the world, which
we showed sometime since was that region OF
this continent extending from No. Carolina TO
Texas, watered at the right seasons from the
Blue Ridge system of mountains, and possess
ing every desirable characteristic of soil, eli
mate and organized labor, it is interesting to
know what the people of other countries are
doing in supplying production that the world
must and will have.
The experiments of cultivation In India,
Sicily and Algeria have succeeded beyond ex-,
pectation. la Madras the export of only 105,-
033 lbs. in 1860 have increased to nearly 4OO,-
600 in 1868. In Hong Kong the export in a
single month was 10000 lbs. The greatest
drawback to its increased production in both
India and China was the absolute death of
transportation to the sea-board, difficulty
that the steam mania Of Englishmen, stimula-
ted by the magic wand of King Cotton. will
soon surmount by fair means or foul. The ex-
hibition recently held at Calcutta was highly
successful ior that region; though the indigo
nous cotton, possessed OF strong fibre, is an
exceedingly short staple.
In Italy the yield this year is estimated S20,-
100000 against S6,000,000 last season. Sevenly
thousand bales of 100 kos each were raised
last year. Pompeii is surrounded by large cot
ton fields on every side, extending as far as
Castellmare and Salerno. Land which former
able for the purpose. The cultivation of cotton
In the island of Sicily has become very general
within the last two years; source of wealth
for the inhabitants of the district of Terra No
va. The crop last year was ,269,472 kilo-
grammes, which were exported under the ma
tional flag TO Naples, Genoa, Messina and Nal
Ia, to be reshipped for England and France
The cotton exhibition at Turin gave wonder
full impetus TO cotton planting.
In France on the lands af tho Chatnan of
Ayignon, the largest domain in Aries, cotton
has perfectly succeeded: and at Camarque, the
bolls still ripened in November, and those ga
thered in August September and October were
very well matured. Some staple was long and
Others short
At Cape Coast, Africa, the plantations were
very fourishing, and product Of 10000 bales
expected.
In Algeria, within the last year, the increase
In the land planted with cotton has been con-
siderable. In 0ran it has doubled in less than
year, and amounts now to 1869 hectares
sol hectares growing cotton plants of the
second year. The greatest number of these are
to be found in the plain OF the Sig.
The Cotton Association forwarded Egyptian
seed TO Canea, Crete, Lanaea, Cyprus, Latakia,
Acre and the Pir@us, all in the Mediterranean,
and secured its distribution in those parts. A
deputation has been appointed 10 visit Lord
Russell and obtain his interposition with the
system of forced labor which obtains in Egypt,
in order that more strength may be directed to
cotton production.
Crossing the Atlantic, we find that in Para
quay there are about 100000 of cotton
plants, and the plantations at Corrientes are
very extensive. The editor of the Buenos
Ayres Standard says that" with the very slight
est effort, cotton can be grown on a large scale
in that province"
In Brazil cotton is extensively cultivated,
and there are four million blacks who can be
taught to cultivate it. Jamaica is also ship
ping it. In Peru the Egyptian seed ripens in
four and half months, the New Orleans
seed in five months, and "the quality is the
nearest approach to American OF any yet i'm
ported into England" Entire sections of the
globe have become cotton-mad, and the mania
for its production is as extensive as it is lu-
crative.
Whatever progress may be made In its
growth, and however the cultivation Of it may
be stimulated, the profit thereof will finally re-
dound to the settled benefit Of this country
for the increased supply and demand will call
for an increased quantity of the better staple
American, which will be the more required to
mix with the poorest qualities of other re-
gons: and as soon as the Southern markets
are again opened, the former estimate of A.
100000 bales yearly, will under the pressure
of high prices that must rule for five years
thereafter, be increased in that period to O.,
100000 bales.