The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-14
COTTON CAPACITY OF THE SOUTH.
"A Sanguinc and Hopeful View OF the
Situation.

The following letter which appears In the
New York Daily Bulletin, OF the l2lh'instant,
indicates truthfully and forclbly the immense
cotton capacity of the country, although the
writer may perhaps be too sanguine In refer:
ence. to the rapid increase of the crop in the
scar future, and may have rather underestl:
mated the damage already sustained by the
growing crop:
CHARLESTON, s. c., August 6. |
To the Editor 0fthe Bulletin: -
About one year age the writer noticed;
through your columns, an article published by
the Commercial Advertiser, wherein some
statistics were given from the report OF the
Manchester Supply Association, and induc-
tlone were made that In the near future the
cotton production Of the South would be sur
passed by other sections OF the world. We
showed them that such q conclusion was un.
warranted, and that In this matter the South
would surely maintain and increase her su.
premacy. We are glad to see by recent
article In your paper that you take view
similar to that held by US. The fact Is that
The South is actually q terra ancognita TO nine
tenths of the people of the North. Her re.
markable resources are appreciated only BY 8
very few. What she has done Ia the past In
this matter Of cotton production is bnt
q foreshad0Wlng Of what she Will do In
the future. We know that the progress
made in India during the past twelve years
has been great; but iI bears only poor COM
parison to that made here. In 1866 India pro-
duced her largest cotton crop, which was
larger than that produced In the South during
the same year. Since that year the produc-
lion OF the former has steadily decreased,
until now the average yield is fully thirty
per cent. less than 1t was then. On the part
OF the South, her production has steadily In.
crensed, until this season 1t will be more than
double wnatit was then. The average yield
of the years 1859 and.l860 was double that of
lS49 and 1850. That Of the years 1869 to 1871,
Inclusive. was over 60 per cent. .greater than,
that OF 1865 to 1867 inclusive. Trfus We believe
that we can reasonably expect, for the tutures
that the production OF cotton will be doubled
during every period of ten years; and accurate
Statistics show that this rate OF increase has ex-
listed since 1920. :s,t 80, t
The population Of the eleven cotton States,
at present, is ouly about az twelge inhabl-
England Is about (5l) fifty.one, and that of
New York is (9D nlnery-one TO tie. square
mile. If the South can yield now nearly
100000 bales of cotton, what can. she not
yield when her population is Increased nearly
elghtfOld, TO equal that oil the State Of New
York The increase In the supply of cotton
would not cause decline In price, because
tuO SOuouApt4Ou 10 pLCduIy luCECdpluk ubUs
Fifty years ago, with crop OF only zoo, ,00e
bales, the average price was about II cents,
which was about the price of the crop Of 1870.
The cotton crops are generally reported 10
be fair throughout the South, and really 1t is
seldom that we have had such steadily good
accounts from the planters .as'We have had
this summer. The crops on the coast uf South
Carolina, known as sea Island cotton, are very
fine, and promise q large Yield per acre. The
caterpIllars seem to have dsappeaCed-a
least nothing more ls now heard or them.
The reports from the interior. of this State
and other sections of the South are generally
favorable. Some complaints are made about
caterpllars In Georgia and Alabama, but we
do not believe the damage resulting from
these Insects to be Of material Importance
The floods in Alabama appear to have done
considerable damage In that section, but, aftel
all, the section visited is small one. What II
now 10 be feared isa very early frost. The aver
age pariod Of frost throughout the South Is th'
29lh October, and during the past two years i
occurred fully three later. We have
probably abont the middle Of October. Tht
more important reason, however, ls the very
electric condition OF the atmosphere. Fo
electricity causes cold, and ls accompanied by
a certain. amount Of atmospheric moisture
Last summer was remarkably devoid OF al
electrical phenomena, but this season the at
mosphere has been uncommonly electric
thnnder.storms and tornadoes have beer
severe and numerous. This electricity Is
great stimulus 10 all vegetation, aud Is on
Of the prime causes of the flne crops through
ont the South now, while Its absence was on
Of The causes last season Of the failure of tn
crops then.
Some of the estimates given of this crop ar
| unreasonably extreme, for we can not posslol
exceed the Yield of 1870, and all the chance
are that we will not equal IL.