Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-10-29

am oair.l o L, Ii. We K,y Tor less III N SIX
monk.
,uEu~ COgsON AN0 aTs
'o,x,D-WrD ElNFs.sENCE.
r..h rear brings to the front an
rof st.tisticians and guessers who
b-fore the coantry reliable ac-
Ut f the great Sonfher staple.
81 the exact number Of ba'e es.
rb.sa statements commence when the
s-.. fnrroxi j. turned i'll preparation
I.,be new crop, aud long ere the
b,ll is opened, the grand
-.a,v result # southern labor Is her
',3.I over the continent and through
!. tho world, il every conceivable
.Lane in which figures Can present 1t.
T., not material that diff rent sta
ti.tieisns aud guessers dltf'r WIDE y
tror, each other in their several estI-
.,+as A difference III these estimates
80 f.U hundreds of thousands OF
boIes is a trifing matter. not worth
o,;cing. The estimates are all taken
.-,, tha most reliable Sources, aud
ora absolutely accurate. The acreage
,lo,,te0. the quantity of rain fall. the
.bo .xact number of worms that Will
a.predate the plant, the number of
hollis that will open. aud the number
of bol that will not Open-all these
ora taken into calculation which Is
made with such couSumate mathemat
zeal skill as to make The problems OF
Fpclid in pmparison to it, unworthy
tbe skill of the N rest tyrO. loga-
rithm or an equation of the hnndr. dth
degree. are not half SO accurate or
useful in the solution of problem IT.
onal1tical geometry as are these data
in making up the sunamariun1 OF the
cotton crop. OF course truth Is at
the bottom of ali these Investigations.
Truth is " hat each statisliciap aud CUES
ser is SET king for Each one OF them
il anxious 20 ascertain the exact num-
her of bales. in order to know tho re-
latIon in which supply" and de
mapd" will g. and to ,ach otEer. lhls
being done, the price that the staple
will bring is easily figured up. But
nobody ever thinks about "prOUing
the sum- IA the school boys
wonld say. When the time
comes to prove the CORE ctness Of their
statistics or guessing, it is OF no worth
to do so. The cops has then been
sold-has passed from the hands OF the
producer, into the hands of the specu-
lator and manufacturer These latter
gentlemen have it piled up on theii
ybaryes and in their warehol, ses. AT
ter each one has counted his pile, the
simple rule of addition is brought into
requisition; but the result Is held
profound secret among the Initiated
Tis crop, is, with the producer. o's
of the things of the dead past, IN which
he has no further interest. But JUS
before he commences to turn bis new
burrows for his new crop. the high ano
advancing price of cotton slmuiate'
him to renewed energy and txertlon
and his great aim is to make more cot
ton than he did last year. Then thu
work of the new year commences.
And then to the front come tn
army OF statistic;ans and gues
scrs again. The acreage planted
tue quantity of rainfall, the exac
number of worms that will depredat
tie plant, the number of bolIs that vii
open, and the 1mber of bolIs that Wi
not open, are again figured up, ant
firm tue data from which the gran
result is to be again scertain ID.
The planter never profits by exrel
ience. He implicitly believes evers
thing these stati-ticians and guesser
from time to time tell him. When tn
crop year begins, he believes every
body will plant less cotton than they di
last year-ercept himself. Wuen pick
Ing time comes, he believes that every
bCdy's crop has been fearfully damae
ed, by worms, drouth, and over fall {
rain-ence1ot has OWa; hence he mus
use extra exertion, up to the last mo
ment. to save every pound he can. Als
for him when his crop is ready fl
market, he fnds that he has gotte
hold Of the figures of the wrong statii
tlcian or guesser, aud that every plan
er has raised an Infinitely better Gro
than himself, the aggre gate productio
Is immense, and consequently the prie
must rule low. Dhe had raised pta'
tation supplies, he aoould not hd'
been compelled to sell his cotton
once to 6ety them, and could hare he'
hIs crop IN his barns untak the specui'
tor and manufacturer acre a0itling
pay The highest price for it. Whe
Wall our people learn wisdom?
But We have fomewEl It departe
IRON the origin al design OF this artic
which was TO call attention to the o
tended influence hat tn, cCtto- Gre
OF the South "xerte on the Worlds i
oustries and enterprises. That sec
ton Is king is no lass ii 1e now. tx.
IL was when 1t Was cultivated by