The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-09-25
TIE COTTON CROP.
Factors and Planters Estimates of
Southern stock.

From the New York World.
Ut,err few ordinary every 1aysubjects
| is it so difficult to obtain fair state
ment of simple facts, untinged by the
/ coloring of personal interest, as upon
1 the probable aggregate amount of a
| forthcoming cotton crop. The ffieulty
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, toe,
/ a natural aud 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 CD 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
U
ments in a 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 or ~ to harmon
/ ize these so far as pc. )le, and with
| the view of pres enting far as prac-
tricable a Trustworthy estimate of the
crop of 1874, large number of gen.
tlemen 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 general converse
tion<Sith Mr.. T. I. Bryce, of the well
known firm of Bryce & Co., extensive
cotton brokers in this city, and largely
interested in a 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 1act that this season no portion OF
the crop has had to be absolutely aban-
dOned, while last year 125 per cent. of
the entire production was thrown out
as valueless owing to grass, etc. The
result is that 10y 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 1st of August of the
present year till the 1st of September,
did no little damage to the sandy lands
of the south known as the 'uplands,'
but the damage thus done was curious
~ enough more than compensated by
the protection thus afforded the low or
8 b tom lands from the ravages of the
cotton worm. Only once since the war
have these lands produced so large and
so fine a crop, and that was in 1870,
when the total cotton yield was 4,347,-
600 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 rule throughout the
south, has been equally efficient, and
more whites have been employed sue
cessfully than ever before. The drouth
before alluded to was succeeded by fine
showers, cont 1uing in many instances
for more than ten days, and it is fair to
say that never on the 7th of September
was the weather more propitious for the
cotton crop than it is to day. The de-
velopment of the plant, too, has nm
I Ea1
the previous dry weather, and the early
receipt of the new crop thus rendered
probable, which Will, of course, have
its 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 Gro with any certainty.
In estimating, he should consider it safe
to start with 1000, 900 bales, but should
want to have leeway of 500, 600 bales
for increase, and $50, 900 bales decrease,
other accident occur.
Mr.. d. E. Huger, large and infuen-
tial cotton factor at Mobile, Ala, in re-
ply to q series of questions upon the
subject, said that the cotton receipts of
Mobile for last season were 800, 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, 900 bales. ranging from that to 400,- |
600 bales. 1t was his personal opinion |
that an intermediate figure would prob |
ably be more accurate. He, too, |
it too early to judge, but con-
sidered an early frost the only POSSIBLE |
contingency which could greatly reduce
the crop. lre 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 drouth.
great deal of cotton was, be said,
shipped froE7 Mobile TO New Orleans,
and thence sold as Orleans cotton at an
advance of one-eighth of penny.
Last season" said NJ. Huger, IS,
$50 600 bales was about the averag
estimate of the crop made by many
md some even thought it would not ex-
ICED $500, 600 bales, but the crop in
)oiut of fact reached 400, 600 bales"
The staple of the cotton was, lie thought
unusually good this season in his sec
ion of the country, as was also the
inning, in consequence of the continued
Try weather.
Several other gentlemen largely in
crested in the cotton trade confirmed ,
he- statements already made, and one
them remarked that as an indication of
he prospect of large crop marketed !,
asily might be mentioned the fact that
Iontgomery, Ale., received Monday
90 bales, while last year the receipts
t that point for the entire correspond S
~ week were but AL bales. and 1.-THE 4