, 1866-03-26
THE NEXT COTTON CROP,

Estimated at Four Millions OF Hales.
4 gentleman who has travelled through
the Gulf States for tho past eight months
writes ont hts observations for the Cincinnati
Commercial, from which We extract tho fol.
lowing In relation to
TIE INDUSTRIAL SITUATION.
Never, In all history, perhaps, was there
witnessed so complete regulslon Of public
sentiment On EiTen topic IS WAS seen In the
South alter the Christmas holldaya. Before
that almost everybody Of white complexion
had been despondent aud gloomy, while the
negroes wsre correspendlngly elatsa md e. e.
latter never would work again the latter,
from belief that they neyet would haye to
work again. Now everything Is changed.
For lew days arst succeeding those holi-
days the co1ored people felt bitterly
disappointed % At ths no 'non:appear, Ape y.
parcel ont to them the lands and cattle Of
their old masters, but soon, with their usual
happy and contented dispositions. they 1efl
ott regrets that they found were useless, and,
with d universally that was astonishing both
to North and South, gave their attention to
facts, and went into contracts for the year.
With this the hopes Of the whites began SLOW
alnlt it, md are still, they begin to see pleas
ing visions Of prosperity in tho future. To
pcgrocs work fad always been habit, and
they found 10 difficulty IN renewing It. It is
q habit their white brethren generally have
yet to learn. OF course, there are Thousands
Of lazy and worthless negroes, who never
hare done anything Of value, and never will,
but the majority Of them have gone nobl5 TO
work.
Renting, as many OF them do, and working
under their own control, their labor will not
be 50 skilfnlly directed IS formerly; there
|xafA lac. f1nt1 At h1r fr,
1s60, and they will work lever hours per day
than then !; consequently, there will be less
cotton raised than then by one-tblrd, per-
haps, but they will Lay the foundation for
system Of selfdirecting, Intelligent labor,
that, in two Or three years, will produce far
crop Of 1906 viii be q better picked, better
cleaned and better packed crop, as whole,
than any ever before raised, for the reason
that there are thousands of poor white men
renting little fields, who never did before, and
these will bring it to market III the best pos
eihlo order. estimate that there will be
$50 coo poor white men renting land this year
negroes. These generally contract for one
third Of The crop, and furnish their own
teams; or oue-fourth, and uee the teams and
implements Of their former masters.
fhe crop Of 1850 wes 5,cH, ,166 bales o!
ginned cotton. In attempting an estimate Of
thirds Of thnt OF 1860. in oil the States except
Texas, Alabama and Mississippi. In Texas
aud Alabama, l believe the crop will be full
one, for they were the great centres Of the
Confederacy, into which were crowded thou
sands Of negroes, many Of whom still remain,
while they we're very little disturbed by our
armies. In Texas there are 10o, 900 negroes
more than In 1SG0, and IN Alabama probably
5000. Niss1saIrpl remained comparatively
| quiet also, but lost many negroes. Her crop
| will not exceed three-fou1ths. In Virginia It
will be about one-haH. Here, then, Is the
rv4oeu hy Efnfes: