The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-10-19
The Future of the Cotton Supply.

A correspondent of the New York
Dnilv Bulletin, writing from Charleston,
takes issue with writer in the Com
n,ercih Adrcrtiser who from tho recent
report of the Cotton Supply Association
of Manchester, draws the inference that
India and Egypt are gradually menopo-
lizing the cotton production, and must
eventually reduce that Of the South to a
matter of small significance. The
writer from Charleston joins issue both
with the facts and the references OF the
other correspondent.
First with regard to India, the expe-
rience of the past ten years shows, tAa'
that country cannot aspire to be a large
producer of the great staple, The cot
ton famine in Great Britain during 1861
81 did increase enormously the pro-
duction of cotton there, which under
the impulse of high prices was largely
exported. This production reached Its
maximum in 1865, when owing to the
large area OF laud withdrawn from the
cultivation Of bread-stulfs, famine was
caused which swept off,, it is estimated,
100000, 600, of human beings. The con-
sequence has been, that since then, there
has been decrease in the production I;
the cotton export of Great Britain in 1871 {,
being 1,s3s,OO0 bales, or a decrease of
some 400, 900 from the maximum of 1855.
The dense population of British India,
being abont 4s,457,ooo, to all area OF
956, ,436 square miles, or an average OF
over 155 to the square mile, is attended
with extreme and widespread poverty,
which forces the laboring classes to
eonfine themselves to the cultivation of
bread-stuffs or suffer the pains of famine.
In civilized countries the deficiencies OF
one. section, are supplied by the super
fluities of another, but in the half-civil-
ized East, the destruction Of the food
crop means death. This obstacle to cot
ton production in India seems to be
ipsurmountablc, and will likely be a bar
to any further material increase in tho
present production.
With regard to Egypt, the same OBJ
stacles exists in the poverty of the labor
ing classes, and besides IL is very small
country. The whole area is only some
2,o,OOO square miles, of which, only
some 10000 are watered by the Nile and
are under cultivation. With so small
AN area as this lsst-being not so large as
that of South Carolina, and with four
tines its population,-Egypt has never
exceeded our crop of 1870.
"Regarding Turkey, Syria, the Ia
waiian and West Indian Islands" !"
saws the writer, "we have no fear,
for their products are small and com.
paratively unimportant. Brazil may,
in the course of many years, become a
great country and be formidable conf
Setitor of the South; but this cannot
occur for long period, as it will take
many wears for man to overcome the vast
natural obstacles raised against his pro-
gress by the equatorial position of tliat
country. Australia cannot become q
producing country of any ilnpor-
tance for many generations. This vast
island, although comprising an area of
5000 square miles, is fertile and cultiva-
BILE only over strip of country extend
ing on an average only from 300 to 400
miles from the coast. The interior COM
prises one vast desert. This interior
desert causes over the whole island eX-
cessive droughts and terrible floods.
The temperature Of the southern part Of
. the island is similar to that of Virginia,
while that Of the northern half is pr0ba-
bly, warmer. This latter part is the only
portion whose temperature would suit
cotton but the staple cannot be cultiva-
ted there until the interior desert is set
tied and oyergrown with trees, and the
droughts and floods cease. This, of
course, cannot occur for many genera
tions. We thus feel that our people have
nothing to fear from Australia"
Again, "Regarding the assertion that
the South should pay more attention to
.oreadstuffs and less to cotton, we can on
ly say that it is trite remark, with as
little soundness and accuracy as most
trite remarks. The Reports of the Ag-
ricultural Bureau, which, concerning
past events, arc very correct, show that
South to breadstuifs. In lS69ther were
about 80. .000, 600 acres of land cultivated
in the eleven cotton Statess of which
7.75O, 900 acres we're in cotton, l9, ,2oi 900
in breadstuffs and the balance. in hay
and tobacco. That the supply of bread
stutfs produced was ample for the pohu-
iation, is proved by the fact of the prices
having been lower in the South than in
either New England or the Middle States.
In the first, corn averages 50 cents per
bushel in the second Sl.30, and in the
third, 80 cents.
"During the last twelve months corn
in Charleston has ranged from 80 cents
tn Sl.05 per bushel peas from Is cents to
s.. so; bacon from to 10 cents per pound,
and Hour from s. to SS per barrel. Most
of these prices, In currency, are as low
as they were in coin prior to the war.
These facts certainly show that the
Southern people have not been in any
want of provisions, and have not plalr-
tod auy more cotton than has been con-
sistent with the production OF full sup
plies Of provisions. We claim that 1.-THE
elements Of future prosperity. for the
South lie in the production Of cotton.
She ia eninently fitted for this purpose
more SO than any other section of the
world. The mind of man cannot con-
eeiye the limit to her cotton production.
The eleven cotton States comprise an
area of about 436, 900 acres, of which only
about so, ,OO0, ,OCO, or not quite per cent,
are cultivated; and contains q popula-
ton of about 100000, or about Is to
each square mile. If, therefore, with
not 7 per cent. of the land cultivated,
and such a sparse population, these
eleven States can now produce 4,230, 600
bales, what may we not rightfully eX-.
pect to be produced when her territory
Is as thickly settled and cultivated as the
State of New York? While the large
crops produced are evident to all, but
few properly regard the large consump-
ton progressing. Very much more cot
wants of the entire world are steadily
so that while the South will !