The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-05-13
The Cotton Supply.

! The total receipts of cotton at the ports
from the lst of September, 1874, to The
2Ith of April, 1915, were 3,2S4,706 bales
and for the corresponding period of last
| year, 3,545.6l5 bales. This shows a de-
| crease in receipts thus far in 1873 of 260, sos
| bales. The total shipments to foreign
ports from the 1st of September, 1874, 10
the present date, amount TO but 2,225, 23a
| bales, against 2,424,2 PIG bales for the same
period of last year. showing a decrease in
exports of l9S 977 bales. At first sight il
seems surprising thata shipment of cotton
short by nearly 100000 bales, together
with the prospect of short receipts from
this date until the new cotton year in Sep
| TENDER. as compared with the same period
of last year, should exercise so little in
| tluence on the price of cotton at home and
| abroad for cotton is to-day fully cent a
pound cheaper in Liverpool than last year,
and D cents pound cheaper than iii
1873. The explanation, however, is readi-
ly found in the dizziness of the market for
cotton goods and in the diminished con-
sumption of cotton by foreign as well as
by domestic mills. The shipments from
the United States to Europe from the 1st
Of September, 1873, to the 26th of April,
1874, amounted to 424.2I6 bales. The
stock of American cotton in Europe and
atioat was at that time 1.247 900 bales,
showing that Europe used from the LIST OF
September to the 2Gth of. April LIZ PIG
bales of American cotton. Now let us
turn to the present cotton year. We sent
to Europe from the 1st of September
1874, to the 26th of April, 1875, 2,225, 239
bales of cotton. On the 26th of April the
stock of American cotton in Europe and
aflOat was l,142,000 bales, showing that
Europe consumed 1897 bales less of
American cotton during this period OF
nearly eight months than during the same
period of the previous year. In other
words, the unusual stagnation of trade
in cotton fabrics made our short ship
ment-shOrt by nearly 100000 bales-less
felt than it would have been if the ordi-
nary amount of business had been done.
But dull as the cotton trade of Europe
has been. with consumption short by
nearly 100000 bales in eight months, it is
nevertheless true that the visible supply
of American cotton in stock in Europe
and atloat is diminished by some 10000
bales, as compared with the same period
of last year. And it is but reasonable to
assume that should there be merely an in
dication of a revival of trade in cotton
fabrics in Europe, which will naturally
run CIilelly Oh Iue American staple, tllt
short supply from here would at once be
felt. The present cotton crop was over
estimated by 1000 bales or more, for it
was at one time supposed that the sup
ply would reach 4, 333,000 bales, whereas
the most sanguIine now reduce these fig
ures to $3.50, 600 or to 3,S00,000 bales. 1t
follows, therefore, that the hopes for a
plentiful supply of cotton during the last
four months of the present calender year
depend entirely on the new crop, half of
which is not yet in the ground. Toe Vi
cisSitudes of the new crop will therefore
be watched with great interest. If Il re-
vival of trade should set in in here and in
Europe, not only an average but a plenti-
full crop for the year 1856 would be re-
quired to make good the comparatively
moderate supply now on hand.-N !.
World. --.-.-..,- --.