The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-10-24
The Fluctuations in Southern Cotton Crops.

Fnplish manufacturers are becoming exceed
ingly disturbed by the great fluctuations in the
crops of cotton grown in the South. During
the war large quantity of English machinery
in English mills, Heretofore. adapted to the
manufacture of Southern eottons was changed
adapted to the manufacture OF Indian cot
tons. The return of peace, throwing open the
ports of the South, stimulated by. the prospect
of an immediate supply from the accumula-
tions during the war, and induced by the hope
and expectation that with the revival OF South
ern agriculture, under the restoring influences
of peace, there would be return to something
like the steady production OF the ante-peiinm
era, caused the British manufacturer to restore
the discarded machinery, notwithstanding the
production under new conditions OF LABOR was
matter of experiment and legitimate ground
for distrust. We have now entered upon the
eighth year of peace. Yet the dlssrust as 10 10
the certainty Of supply, and great fluctuations
in production still continue; and, we think,
are to continue, because of the introduction OF
the two new huctuating elements entering into
production-the varying and variable supply
Of capital. and the inconstant character of the
labor EMPLOYED in the cultivation of crop in
which constant labor is an essential condition
for success. :,
The London Eeoaons;at Of September q,
contains very careful editorial ON .9Fhe
American Cotton Crop of 1871-72," which, it
will be remembered, was 1,377 1866 bales short
of the crop of the previous year. After com
pairing the yield of cotton in recent years with
that Of the same staple before the war, and
remarking that though American does not hold
the same relative place that it then did in sup
plying the markets of the world with cotton,
its place is still by far the most important, and
effects the market most. The writer in the
Economist proceeds:
But the effect on the market is not manifest
ed exactly in the old way. This effect now ap-
pears to be traceable to the unusual magnitude
of the fluctuations which are observable in the
crop. The difference between 1901 and
187l-72 as we have seen, was 1,378,0 600 bales
and there was difference of 1,19S000 bales
between 1901 and the previous year. To
all appearance such large fluctuations were un-
known before the civil war. The highest we
notice was in 1860-61, when the crop was
I.0JS. 600 bales short of the highest recorded
crop of 4,669,770 bales in the previous year
and previous to that the maximum variation
was about 100000 bales. The consequence is
that though the average crop may now be rela-
lively rather smaller than before in relation te
the total supply, yet the limit Of variation is
wider, and permits of changes which are quite
as great in relation to the total supply as were
the smaller changes in the crop when there
was practically no other supply but American
| If this extreme variability should be perma
nent, in consequence of some peculiarityin the
conditions of free labor, it will have most dis.
turbing effect on the cotton trade, and aigooc
deal of anxiety must be felt by all interested
until q longer experience has been obtained: