The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-09-25
THE COTTON CROP.
Factors and Planters Estimates of
Southern Stock.
From the New York World

Factors and Planters, Estimates of
Southern Stock.
From the New York World.
Upon few ordinary every daysubiects
| is it so difficult to obtain fair state
ment of simple facts, untinged by the
eoloring of personal interest, as upon
the probable aggregate amount of a
forthcoming cotton crop. The diff Guilty
arises from various causes. A large
| class OF persons talk and estimate flu
emily enough upon the subject, who
have little or no personal knowledge
/ upon which to base either. All through
| the south the village postmaster. the
railway station agent, and the local cot
ton factor have their correspondents in
| the great markets OF the north and east
| with whom their reports have influence.
and to whose order they are perhaps
not unfrequently made. There is. too
a natural and inherent diversity of in
terest between the cotton planter and
| the cotton merchant and consumer.
The former quite naturally finds it to
his advantage to under estimate the
probable crop and over estimate the
| chances of misfortune, as this tends to
| produce high prices and CONSEQUENT
| profit while the latter are as prone to
| reverse this order of things, over esti-
mating the crop and under estimating
the probable price to suit their require
ments IN business point of view. The
! divergence of opinion upon this subject
has either been greater this season than
usual, or else fuller prominence has
been given to the views of both sides
| than ordinarily. In order to harmon
| Ize these so far as possible, and with
the view of presenting so far as prac-
| trlcable trustworthy estimate OF the
crop of 1874, large number of gen
| tIemen engaged in the cotton trade
have been recently questioned, and
from among their statements the follow
| ing have been selected as best conveying
the argument pro and con
In the course OF a general converse
ton with Mr.. T. T. Bryce, of the well
known firm of Bryce & Co., extensive
| cotton brokers in this city, and largely
! interested in q number of cotton-grow-
| ing plantations in various parts of the
south, the following statements were
! elected: "The crop of this year, -
/ said Mr.. Bryce, cup to the 10th of
August last, promised fairly to be the
| largest ever produced in this country. 1t
IS certainly true that the acreage has
been considerably reduced, owing to a
| variety of causes, but this reduction
has been more than compensated by
the TACT that this season no portion of
the crop has had to be absolutely aban-
dOned, while last year 123 per cent. OF
the entire production was thrown out
as valueless owing to grass, ETC. The
result is that by the 1st of August OF
this year, the number of acres produc-
ing cotton was in fact greater than at
the corresponding time the previous
year. The amount of fertilizing agents
used upon the cotton lands of the south
was undoubtedly less than in previous
years, but was nevertheless greater than
in 1870, when what is still know as the
big crop WAS produced. It is
also true that the extensive drouth,
lasting from the LIST of August of the
present year till the LIST of September,
did no little damage TO the sandy lands
of the south known as the 'uplands,
but the damage thus done was curious
ly enough more than compensated by
the protection thus afforded the low OF
'bc tom lands from the ravages of the
cotton worm. Only 0nce since the wal
have these lands produced so large and
so fine a crop, and that was in 1870,
when the total cotton yield was 4,547,
900 bales, and in the absence of unfor-
seen events this years yield to the acre
from these lands should exceed that OF
1870. Labor as a rule throughout the
south, has been equally efficient, and
more whites have been employed sue
cessfulIv than ever before. The drouth
before alluded to was succeeded BY fine
showers, continuing in many instances
for more than ten days, and it is fair &c
say that never on the 18th of September
was the weather more propitious for the
cotton crop'than it Is TO, day. The de-
velopment of the plant, too, has m
doubtedly been much accelerated by
the previous dry weather, and the early
receipt of the new crop thus rendered
probable, which Will, of course, have
It's legitimate effect upon the market.
For the past eight years the opening
price in the month of September has
been above the closing price for the
same month, and it seems to be the
general impression that the current
season will prove no exception to the
general rule"
In reply to direct question as to his
estimate of the forthcoming crop, Mr..
Bryce said that it was too early in the
season, in his opinion, to predict the
amount of the crop with any certainty.
In estimating, he should consider it safe
to start with 1000, 600 bales. but should
want to have leeway OF SOC, 600 bales
for increase, and $50, 900 bales decrease,
should the frost set in early, or some
other accident occur.
Mr.. D. E. Huger, a large and infuen-
tial cotton factor at Mobile, Ala, IN re-
ply 10 a series of questions upon the
subject, said that the cotton receipts of
Mobile for last season we're 300 900
bales, and that the lowest estimates for
the ensuing season among the cotton
factors there, who are sellers, and there
fore favor the views of planters, was
$50, 600 bales. ranging from that TO 400,-
600 bales. It was his personal opinion
that an intermediate figure would prob
ably be more accurate. He, too,
thought it too early to judge, but con-
sidered an early frost the only possible
contingency which could greatly reduce
the crop. He remarked that of the
bottom, middle, and top crops any two
/ would make fair aggregate, and that
! this season only the middle crop had
been partially injured by the droutb.
| A great deal of cotton was, he said,
shipped from Mobile to New Orleans,
and thence sold as Orleans cotton ct an
advance of one-eiRhth of a penny
Last season." said NJ. Huger, So
700, 900 bales was about the average