The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-01-06

of resumption are among the most insolublc OF
the problems of this branch Of the science Of
political economy. The worst perils and vicissi-
tudcs are invoked in too sudden return to
cash payments The premature resumption
by the Bank of England in 1922 led to fall of
10 to so per cent. in the value OF agricultural
produce, while by a premature resumption OF
the banks of the United States in 1887 second
suspension was forced on them in 1889. 1t
would appear from tile recent debates In Con-
gress that the members are not agreed on
some fundamental principles, and that some
exploded doctrines with regard to currency
have been revived. which we had conceived
had been buried in the grave OF oblivion. and
what is of more consequence, have received
dangerous vitality.
SOURCES OF SUPPLY.
There are three principal sources of cotton
supply /. The United States 2. The East
Indies. 3. Egypt. We will consider them IN
the reverse order in when they nave peen
named.
EGYPT.
Egypt is country that has unbounded natu-
raj facilities for the production OF cotton The
growth is. however attended with too much eX-
Dcnse for irrigation, Notwithstanding the eXu-
berlnt fertility of land on the banks OF the
Nile, to apDrehend serious competition from
this source at less price than from I'D. to l5d.
The land on the shores Of the Nile Is worth
from G20 to G40 pcr acre. The partial a0an-
donment of the cultivation OF cereals III 1850
cost Egypt in that year 350, 600 OF her poplla-
tion, who perished by famine. There is no
dependence to be placed in the Egyptian
crops. The yield that year, 1864, 1865, was
4O4.41l bales, and since that period this has
never been attained. Only $4,000 bales were
imported into Great Britain in lSGS averaging
500 pounds each.
EAST INDIES.
British India, from the forced stimulus given
to the cotton culture In 1865, over l,350-
600 souls pcrished in 1866 from inadcquacy
of food, when the large crop Of that year was
made, which did not reach quite l,S4O.S
bales, decreasing in 1867 to l,5Os,9 ,9G3, and In
1865 to l.42O,5T6 bales, averaging S4I POUNDS.
It appears to be the settled opinion of those
convcrsaat with the subject that cotton cannot
be cultivated in any of those Eastern coun-
tries at less price than Cd. per pound.
BRAZIL, PERU, &C.
South America is said to be increasing in
cotton culture, particularly Brazil. AS regards
the first named of these countries the yield In
1868 was S0,00O bales more than In 1867, but
as the bales only average 155 pounds in weight
the actual increase, with that OF the West
Indies and Peru, only $50 pounds, Is small,
and does not amount to more than G5l, 900
bales. reduced to 400 pounds, for the year
1865.
WESTERN AFRICA.
The shores Of Western Africa are said to pro-
dlce cotton in large quantities, but the staple
is too short and coarse for the manufacture Of
the finer fabrics. The distinguished traveller,
Dr. Livingstone, has recently furnished mulch
information as to the capacity of this region
for the growth of cotton. He returned to
Africa in the spring of 1858, prepared to prose-
cute the culture OF the crop. The total amount
sent TO England in 1858 was nearly 100000
pounds. IN quality the African cotton is dccid-
edly superior 10 that from the East Indies, and
in tineness and length Of staple ranks next to-
American cotton. ('rhesc facts are copied
from work recently issued by Joseph B. Ly-
man, late of Louisiana, which unites TO much
minute Information, in relation to the culture
Of cotton, very judicious general views.]
UNITED STATES.
The area OF the ten cotton-growing States is
GGC l9G square miles, or 426, ,365, ITO acres. phe
region In which cotton is the peculiar product
extends from so to 40 degrees north latitude.
Not more than one half of this territory, and
that the lower half, can be said to bc adapted
to the culture of cotton. Within these limits
be one of soil, not climate. In oil this region
called the cotton belt, the peculiar climate of
which is produced by the chain of mountains
which intcrscct the country, the lower spurs
of the Allegheny range passing of westward
in the hills of Northern Georgia, Alabama and
Mississippi. On these the moisture brought in
In land by the sea breczes from the gulf and gulf
stream is condensed and falls In many show
ers, but not often In long storms, and produc-
ing an equality of temperature most favorable
for the growth Of the plant.
Among the most productive portions OF TINS
region Is the iazoo basin, In the State OF Mis-
sissippi, lying Immediately south OF Tennessee,
bounded on The west by the Mississippi River,
and on the south and cast by Yazoo, Talla-
hatchie and Cold Water Rivers, covering an
area Of nearly 100000 acres. In the year
1860 the State of Mississippi produced ,2O2,-
5O7 bales OF cotton, and this amount, 1t ls cs-
timated, is produced in the delta of the Mis-
sissippi, with an average territory OF about
two hundred miles in length and an average
width of twenty-five miles, comprising. over
three millions of acres which is literally eX-
haustlcss.
The State of Alabama is nearly similar in
situation. Near the centre OF Inc Stace Is
tract of land extending about forty miles IN
each direction, giving something like aooo ,
SQUARE miles or more than million OF acres
of the most fruitful cotton land. The prodlc-
tive CAPACITY OF this part OF Alabama alone
cannot be much less than three-iourths ol the
whole number of acres. The most Of this
favored section lies between the 32d and
33d degrees OF latitude, the very centre Of
tile cotton belt.
The producing capacity of the United States
may be roughly estimated from the growth Oh
lS5r-GO. which, according to the census
of 1850, amounted 10 5,l9l ,944 bales, and 1t is
beyond dispute that with sufficient supply
of labor the average supply could be brought
up to 0O0, 900 bales, instead Of 2,5000 000 Daies
its present average amount.
The production Of this country Is the clc-
mcnt that influences the cotton trade In the
largest degree, both rs to quantity and quality.
Il was computed before the war that of every
trn hllcs of cotton consumed in Europe nine
were produced in the United States. IL Is ny
the fact that no other part OF the world yielded
the description of cotton grown in this coun-
try of the desired quantity that the partial
monopOly we enjoyed was so long sustained
The Inferior descriptions that supplied its place
from the East Indies, under the name oil Slllat,
was adaptcd only to what, in technical IAN
rl,agc, is called the woof, while the warp
was exclusively supplied by the medium cot
tons of American growth, and 1t was tnc
deficiency of what Is termed middlinS uplands
that led The British manufacturers so to lnodl-
fy their machinery as to blend the inferior
Qualities of East India cotton with the better
descriptions OF American. 1t Is the deficiency
of this grade or description OF cotton That Is
the great want OF this trade-the deSideratilm
that is needed. How it can be supplied by
any other means than the restoration OF the
former relations of demand to supply it is the
drsinn of this statement TO illustrate.