The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1867-08-31
From the New Orleans Commercial Bulletin
G Q 2 e . II.
The Sources of suppiy-The Present
Prospects, Etc, Etc.

/ Egypt before Jne war, was, 0inptftlGIF el Y,
! but trifing IN extent During the war, how
+ ever, through the exertions made by both
/ nations, the annual crop of each was greatly
increased An idea may be had of the ex-
I tent Of the exertiOns pat forth in this direc-
/ ton by both powers, when we state chat, IN
1863, the cotton yield of Egypt was one
/ thousand per cent. greater than before the
war, and the East Indian Weld nearly two
thousand per cent. This result cannot be q
subject of nzsrYel when we reflect upon the
potent influences brought to bear upon its
accomplishment. The attention given to the
subject and the patronage and protection
lent by the. British government; the power
full private organizations and immense eapi-
tai invested the strenuous efforts of the
owners of those then silent mills all over
EngLand upon whose sills the grass fairly
grew; the infusion Of British skill, means,
energy and enterprise into tardy India and
undevelOped Egypt, are among the many
combinations that were then made to improve
to the uttermOst the golden opportunity pre-
sented to Oust the United States from her
control Of the cotton markets of the world,
while war compelled her absence from them.
How well they succeeded may be seen from
the fact that all the leading cotton growing
countries have for the last FIVE years far out
stripped the United States In the supply of
the staple. In 1859 England imported
], ,250 100000 pounds, and consumed in that
year, Of this supply, over nine hundred and
seventy-six million pounds. OF this con
sumption, according to reliable estimates
four-JiftHs was American cotton. In the
following year this country produced nearly
five million bales; sufficient quantity to
have supplied all the looms of the world
without recourse to other nations. In 1868
England imported nearly two million bales
from all sources, and Of this supply America
furnished only one hundred and thirty-twO
thousand bales, Brazil about the same guam
tity, East India over one and a third million
bales and Egypt and other countries about
two and three quarter million bales. Ia
1860 the cotton production Of this country
was estimated to be nearly ninety per cent.
Of that of the whole world. In that year
there was a large surplus, with prices rang
ing from ten to twelve cents a LOund in New
Y ork for middling, and from fourteen to fif-
teen cents in Liverpool. The average per
centage increase of consumption In Europe,
for the ten years prior to 1860, was some
what over six per cent. The increase for
the single year 1858 was eight and three
quarters per cent; for 1859, nine and half
per cent; and for 1860, ten and a quarter
per cent The average annual increase of
consumption in this country from 1850 to
1860 was about equal to that of great Brit
ain.
These figures will serve to show the status
of the cotton interest just prior to the war,
and are certainly calculated to extend en-
couragement as to what we can do toward
securing our old control Of the markets, pro-
vided we put forth due exertions. There is
every reason to believe that this country
possesses insuperable advantages over all
the cottOn-growinge countries It's estimated
that, even though cotton kept at forty cents
a pound for the present, Europe would take
from US, probably two million bales; and at
twenty-five cents, probably three million
bales This means from three hundred to
three hundred and twenty millions Of treasure
for the South, and all the plenty and pros
perity that would follow In its train. Under
such a prosperous reign, ruined fortunes
would soon be rebuilt, and War-banished |
comforts would be brought home again. 1t
is indeed fortunate for the South that she /
holds the power of so easily and so rapidly
retrieving her immense losses, In less /
favored regions, repair of such vast disaster
as hers could only be attained through long
and severe labor and trial But blessed as
she is by munifcent nature, she has but TO
plant and behold her crops brought to per-
fection, with One-fouTth Of the labor required /
elsewhese. And Of those crops, one consti- /
tutes the most important item of commerce
among nations, the general market for
which she can permanentlycomm and if she !
bat wills it So That she may win it so, Is /
the earnest desire of ALL and is Of great i'm
pOrtance to the commerce and manufactures
of this country. We have had accounts
of exhaustion of cotton-producing lands in
some parts Of the South. 1t can scarcely
be believed that this exists to any serious
degree And if it does, recourse can be had
to fertilizers; some of which have been
proven to be greatly restorative Of cotton
lands. We have but to look at the expert /
ence in the use Of these, ten years ago, on
the exhausted soil Of Georgia, South Caro-
lima and North Caroliaa, by which that soil
was rapidly restored to a productive power,
equal in quality and quantity to that Of fresh
soil 1t may be remembered that the guano-
grown cotton of North Carolina held high
rank in the markets as a strong, excellent J
fibre, specially adapted for use IN those
requiring a strong cotton. 1t
has been held that one pound of guano viii
produce from half to three quarters of a
pound of cotton aRd ifit could be proftably
used, as it certainly was before the war, at a
cost Of three cents a pound, when cotton
brought but ten cents, it Is but reasonable
to suppose that the profit Of use now would
be equal to the ratio of increase Of prices.
From the National Intelligsuesr.
81 Ac ccounts from the cotton region of the
South concur IN the estimate Of the Agri-
cultural Bureau as to the probable cotton
crop for the present year. The crop is es-
timated at eighteen hundred thousand bales
as the minimum. It may, under very favora-
bic contingencies, exceed this quantity by
several hundred thousand bales. The last
years crop fell short Of estimates made at
this stage Of the. season, in consequence
chiefly Of unfavorable weather. This season
labor is more expensive and less reliable than
It was last year The freed people, who
work on shares, demand one-half Of the
crop, and are not easily induced to work
even for that portion. The planter encoun-
ters the risk and expense Of cultivation,
including all the fixed capital, the land, stock,
etc, and then the labor takes one-half the
product while the government lies In wait
to seize upon another portion, through the
cotton tax, as well as through the tax which
the planter pays Indirectly upon every ar
tiele Of his consumption. Cotton planting
was not highly remunerati7e last year, and
tnis season it has been so far as is now
known, conducted at a positive loss to the