Des Arc citizen., 1866-09-29
COTTON.
The Supply from the United
 States and from Bntii1.
From the Baltimore sun.l

from the BaltlmOre sun
 The report which has just been made
 by Dr. Forbes to the English Government upon the cotton crop of the United States, after an extensive tour through all the cot ton States, is probably very accurate esti- mate of the amount which will be secured during the present year. Dr Forbes esti-
 mates the entire crop at 1,200,000 bales. This testimony is confirmed by the most
 intelligent gentlemen from the Southern States. Governor Pickens, of South Caro- lima, himself large cotton planter, has published a.lettcr on the same subject, in which he estimates the whole crop at be- tween 100000 and 1,40G,0e0 bales.
 His calculation is made by comparison
 with the crop of 1860, and the quantity of labor engaged in the cultivation of cotton prior to the war. About 4,000, 900 bales were thrown upon the market in 1859, the product of 200, 900 laborers, black and white. He estimates the number of labor CTS to have been reduced, by the desola- tions of war and the change of locations of the negro population, to 400, 900, and the same average production now as before the war would be ,333 ,000 bales, but 133 900 more than the amount conjectured by Dr. Forbes. Before we can estimate the effect upon the price in England and in this country by the short crop, it is necessary to compare the cotton supply which is now drawn from India with that of 1860. In that year we sent to England 2.250,00 bales, and India sent 100000 bales Un- der the stimulating influence of our civil war, the India supply rose steadily from 400,0 ,000 to 100000 bales in 1861. while that from the United States was only 80, 900 bales.
 According to the London Times of Sep tember 9, 1865, India now occupies, in regard tothe cotton supply, place scarcely inferior in proportion to that which was occupied by the United States. The small export in 1865 of the surplus cotton which had been stored during the war has hardly caused any dimnution in the crop of India, and as 100000 bales is probably the ex- treme limit of that which can be spared from the domestic consumption of this country for English manufacture, it may be estimated that the development of the culture and production in India has been constant, and more especially as the agricul- tural production of India has steadily in- creased in like ratio for several years in the great staples of jute, wool, tea and cof. fee. It may, then be fairly assumed that India will always be able to compensate for the deficient crop of the United States. At the same time the change in the labor and social system of the Southern States, renders it probable that large part of their agricultural industry will be perman- ently directed to the produce of grain and the raising of cattle, and those things which make a country sclfsustaining The plan tation system favored the monopoly of the producer of cotton. The farming system will tend to do away with monopoly, and a greater variety of crops. Hence. even should the negro population be as sedulously occupied in productive industry as they were before the war. The amount of cotton produced will be permanently less than under tho old sys- tenn, and the price in the markets of the world less dependent upon the crop of the United States, while it must be constantly higher than it was when we raised the amount of 100000 bales annually. ItI will be long before, if ever, the price recedes to eight and ten cents, making up by increased price for the diminished sup ply, and employing large amount of their agricultural labor in producing for their own consumption much of what they for merly. bought, the cotton States will add to their substantial wealth which will hereafter be measured by some more gen. eral standard than the mere export of cot ton