Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-24
VOLUME XXXIIl
sPECULArIONS ON THE COMING COZ
TON CROP.

We had the pleasure Of an interview on
yesterday with one Of the most practical
intelligent and experienced planters o
Southern Alabama, with regard TO the pros
pect Of the coming cotton crop. He fully
corroborates the statements we have been re-
ceiying for weeks past from various source:
as to the injury sustained by the cotton croI
from the continued rains, Indifferent seed
and other causes. In his opinion the crop,
under the most favorable circumstances from
this out, cannot exceed one million bales.
Upon the same subject the Atlanta Com
ncrciaI Bulletin has the following from a cor
respondent in the Southern part Of Georgia:
Owing TO the great scarcity Of labor, the
cotton crop for this year will barely reach
one-half the amount produced in 1860,
| which, ! think, was estimated at 100000
! bales | am clearly Of the opinion that fif-
! teen hundred thousand bales is full estimate
! of the coming crop This State at the
| present time possesses more negroes than
| she wishes, yet she will hardly make half a
/ crop. With but few exceptions, there eisnota
! plantation in this section of the State that
has its full quota Of hands. 4 vast number
of farms are therefore idle The same
thing can be said of other portious of the
cotton growing regions of this State. In
Middle Georgia there is a great deficiency
of laborers, ard these are tampered with and
seduced from their employers for the more
fertile lands of the West, or for some other
purposes, leaving a large number Of planters
entirely destitute.
A recent dispatch from Augusta says:
Adyices received from the chief cotton
growing States, indicate that the bad weather
the floods, and above all the defective seed,
render the prospect for the coming crop very
poor Ii is estimated that the amount will
not exceed a million and a half bales.
The Tallahassee FlOridiGn of Tuesday
says; "The heavy rains for the last three
weeks have materially damaged the crops.
The quantity of grass in the cotton is fearful.
1t is impossible to kill it or keep it down.
We have heard fplanters who have thrown
away portions Of their crop in order to save
the rest"
The following plausible calculation is
made by resident of Fort Gibson, Missis
sippi. Several Southern papers have pub
lished similar estimates:
The calculation of the cotton crop of 1866
10 made upon a basis of 100000 bales pro-
duced in 3l3 working days by the then labor
of the country previous to the war.
As the laborer now works but five days in
the week the loss of working time is one
sixth, or - days, which deducted from 3l3
days told working time) leaves 2l7 days Of
working time now; but the labor now per
formed is really two-thirds of that which he
formerly did; which gives but ia days of
actual labor now being done.
Now, if in 3l3 days 100000 bales were
produced, how many bales will be produced
in III days? Answer, 2,223,642.
Deduct the loss of labor since the COM
mencement ofthe war at 74l PA, which will
give the crops of 1866 at !, 49,, ,42S, provided
the season be as favorable as that which for
merly produced 100000. But it is gener-
ally believed that throughout the whole
cotton region there is not at this time one
third of the land in cultivation that there
was in 1860, so that it would seem the pre-
sent cotton crop has very small chances to
exceed 100000 bales.