New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-06-07
THE COTTON CROP.


The exaggerated impressions existing abroad in
reference to the extent-of the cotton crop OF the
present season do not appear to be founded ON any
substantial basis, By many intelligent persons
the opinion sometime since uttered by Mr.. Ste
phens, Of Georgia, and so sedulousy spread abroad
lY the telegraph, seems to have been taken as
hleessarily correct. This estimate Of three mil.
ne OF bales was doubtless hazarded because of
enetair prospects Of some particular locality in
0eoSa, which had probably been casually oh.
serVeAby Mr.. Stephens and certain degree Of
eleuehe was attached to the reported conjecture
pecauset was to the interest of the manufacturers
anu otneApurchasers to believe surmises which If
Yerihed 'ould rebound SO much to their advan.
sase, Eve, had the season proved propitious
anu Ine Valfy plantations had ESCAPED tbe ovar.
9neiiiig alssters ocoasioned by the spring foods
enere could nopossibly have been a close annro1.
imation to 50 laee an estimate. '01A
~ oolieetnes of this view will be apparent on
considering the YSt dimnution IN the Agricultural
iorce' ana the Comparatively small portion If tba
plantations which 1--we at any time been under
e1lltisatleh since the gar prominent fact illus.
uattVe OF the rapid dginution in the field force
Wlll snow at glance he correctness Of onr ,,os
non on this subject. cue need Int 10 visit tbo
pityas sR11o, a. q 4.
tiNer plantations in ArkaEas and Mississippi to Ana
1nat tne working force Of any one plantation i
ooiiecteo nom many Localities far. removed from
each other. On one plantation at Laconia. Ark.
lof example, the freedmen engaged in the cultya.
uoh OF the place have been collected from Arkap.
sas' mississippi, Alabama, Ge,rgia. Tennessee
nehtloky and Cincinnati and wat is trne of this
pace Is equally true of hundredsof others An
investigation of the question will convince an, ono
y ene constant tendency of the freelmen N lava
lie upiands and to migrate to the frtna botton,
ianas, and especially to the valley of M .gisa;s
spp Yet, Notwithstanding this cenerat,,i
which has to great extent depetod ~ ;4.,
counties Of their labor, the greatest se'lot
aborers Is still found, even IN tba dstrSt -
50 many have been migrating: and avsr, gioh
lefs may be found at the various cities on II. "a
sisspp where freedmen most do congreg,t.,, ,sy
search Of laborers to supply the existing deft.-,
eies' "lth fhls prominent fact staring us in Ma
iace we are compelled to infer that lie nagyo3. |
iast iadlng from the land and though New Eng.l
lahd philanthropy may have given him his freedom
! ls also reducing in an alarming ratio tile proaus
aon 81 agricultural wealth which he should pro.
perry yield to the general industry of the country
But when, IN addition to the vast diminutfon IN
W ahAoahb n tle labor applied to the soil we
axe into consideration the extent Of The disasters
.fa by the floods, we are compelled ID
',ace very small estimate upon the cotton 6rop
y tne year From every direction come The most
aftrending accounts Of the losses entaied bv q
nccesslon Of oyerfows and of storms. ma
llsslsslppi valley, in consequence Of the 5ilan.
iated condition Of its eyees, is, with some exoep.
WIS, one scene Of desolation as far north rs the
line. Above that point the lands have
cen hooded to considerable extent on botb
enAs OF INC river But where Tie plantations
bordering the streams have been pro.
etea, the fertile plantations on the lower tands
ttileF oaek nave been extensively injured. From !
la9silla w learn thar the rombgbee, in a course
several hundred miles has devastated the fettiIe
satatlons on is banks Every considerable i
cam IN Texas has carried disaster on lis swollen
e. Red Riyer has been unprecedentedly bieb' Il