The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-04-21
The Cotton Outlook.

The receipts at the ports, though gradually
falling off, are still quite high for the season,
and from the commencement of the cotton
year, stand about thirty-two per cent. above the
corresponding period in 1S68-69. The highest
price of the season in this market was thirty
i've cents for Middling Upland, in the early
part of September, from which it gradually de-
clined to twenty-one and quarter cents, under
the heavy fall in the gold premium. From
that point, there has been recovery of about
two cents, the current quotation being twenty
three and half cents. The popular estimates
of the current crop are two and three quarters
to three millions of bales, but should the re-
ceipts during the next three or four weeks fall
off as heavily as anticipated by many, some
modification from the top estimate is not i'm
probable. The market during the last fort
night has derived considerable frmness from
the unexpected strong tone at Liverpool, which
appears to have resulted from tardy arrivals of
the Indian staple and moderate stocks. AS to
the course of prices during the next few
months, there is as usual, diversity of views
though the popular opinion seems to be that
until there shall be full years supply, and q
considerable augmentation of reserve to carry
over to the beginning of another year, for all
the manufacturing world, a material permanent
decline is not probable. Much, however, will
depend upon the condition of industries, now
at rather a low ebb on both sides of the Allan
tic.
The planting season at the South is now at
hand, and there is every indication that an in
creased breadth of land will be planted under
the stimulus of good prices. The cost of pro-
ducing cotton under the new system, in the
hands of good managing planters, it is said,
does not exceed fifteen cents per pound; many
of them, in successful crop like this one,
make it for twelve cents, including interest on
their investment, at current value. As "a price
equal to twenty cents leaves profit beyond
that afforded by any other branch of agricultu-
raj industry, the Southern planters will be very
apt to exert themselves to the utmost to get in
a large area.
Meanwhile the English cotton manufactu-
rers are making the most persistent efforts to
increase the supply in British India, in order
to successfully compete with the United States.
The maximum exporting power of India with
high prices is stated by a leading English au-
thority at 100000 bales; but now that the
impediments. which have for seven or eight
years stood between the foreign spinner and
ing removed, point has probably been reach
ed from which the Indian culture will retro
grade, for it is a conceded fact that under a
moderate scale of prices that country cannot
compete AS to quality it is simply physical
impossibility for the Indian cultivator to grow
cotton at all comparable with ours. The In
dian staple is invariably short, harsh and trou-
blesome in the processes of machinery. This
is the indigenous sort. Attempts have been
made to obviate the stubborn difficulty by the
importation and naturalization of American
seed. Even then the produce, though superior
to the native one, is largely behind that in our
Southern States. In the second year this de-
generacy increases; and soon the growth is as
unacceptable as the Surat. In fact, foreign
manufacturers have no reliable sources but this
country. The dependence may be CALLING, but
it is unavoidable. Our climate and soil are
fitted by nature to produce the peculiar variety
of raw material which cannot be dispensed
with in textile fabrics used for wearing appa-
rel. All this has long been known, and if We
now allude to facts so patent, it is because of
the renewed efforts in comparatively hopeless
rivalry. We shall not only reach the ante BEL
latna production of cotton within few years,
but the English spinners will not unlikely ex-
I perience an additional shock from the transfer
of British machinery and operatives to Amer
ican soil, where the conditions for manufactu-
ring are superior to any other part of the
world. Mr.. Cobden's significant utterance
that British-India "Cotton growers must be
prepared for revival of American industry,
and the competition of the world" is now in a
fair way for a full realization.-M Y. Shipping
and Commercial List, ApriI.