The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-01-30

Or Rsvv1iae snivaan ~ ~ G0teSn fleoo.
Egypt profited In q conspicuous de-
gree BY the stimulus given TO foreign
production Of cotton during the Amerl-
can civil war. It Is question, there,
fore, of some interest, whether the yield
OF Egyptian cotton has OF late been sta
tionSry or progressive, and whether ITS
quality and classification recommend II
to European buyers.
The cultivation Of the mako. or native
cotton first acquired expansion under
Mohammed ALI. notwithstanding
however, the most sedulous encourage
ment on the part Of the Viceroy ana nls
Immediate successors, the Product had
hardly attained in 1853 to $4,000 bales,
and even the crop Of 1851 was sold ioI
less than $9,OOO,OOO. From this point
dates a tremendous increase in qJIaptity
and value. the annual proceeds g,
Egyptian cotton fields until the end Of
our civil war having averaged $3S, 600,
600, At one time the production reached
nearly half million bales, but 1t has
since declined to $4,000, exhibiting a
mean value Of $40 per bale. That this
quantity will be gradually diminished Is
the belief Of intelligent observers who
find the cotton lands OF the Nile basin
limited in area, while those sections re-
mote from the main canals require In
cessant tillage, coupled with wholly in.
ADEQUATE fertilization, which must
eventually exhaust the soil.
The mako ought to rate in Liverpool
on q par with our Southern uplands. 1t
is supple, fine, silky staple, highly ap-
preciated by spinners, and hitherto in
active demand, but unlike our SEALS
land variety, not absolutely indispensa-
BILE. The introduction OF the latter
species has been attempted In Egypt at
various times during the last forty years,
but since the accession OF the Khedive
the American plant has been neglected,
and survives only In one or two small
districts, under the name OF gallin, q
degenerate and bastard product of the
imported seed. Neither has the native
plant been fostered and improved by
iudicious selection. Those administra-
tive abuses and exactions which had
always cramped the cotton product OF
Egypt, have been multiplied under the
present regime, and have at last entail
cd q sensible depreciation Of its average
market value. It might not be fair to
saw that the intrinsic quality of the mako
grown under favorable circumstances
has deteriorated, but the supply Of high
class cotton is falling off, while the
proportion OF low grades is steadily
augmcnting.. :.
classification adopted in Alexandria Is
the main cause OF the growing distrust
and discomfort on the part OF European
buyers. Nor Is 1t easy to find a remedy
for the impOsture, under the present
system OF commercial transactions. The
export trade Of Egypt Is In the hands OF
middlemen, who are cut off from legit-
innate profits by the curious circum-
stance that quotations Of mako rule
higher In Alexandria than on the Liver
pool Exchange. The brokers have COM
bined, therefore, to extort advances be-
fore shipment, and these sums are lent
to the producers (fellahs) upon the Sc
curity OF the growing crop.
The command OF the crude product
thus acquired involves control OF the
ginning process, and 1t Is not likely that
the picking and culling requisite to dis
criminate the better grades are scru-
ginner's interest to obtain the largest
bulk possible OF high priced cotton. This
source of,deception, however,is insignifi-
can't In comparison with the frauds
practised at the port of shipment, where
the staple is finally assorted and packed
In bales, and Where's AakO OF fine quality
Is artfully blended with the brittle,
short fibre OF tho late or autumn crop,
artiflcially dried and whitened. The re.
suit il that Egyptian bills Of lading
have come to be wholly delusory, and
that cotton rated fair In Alexandria
cannot be classed above middling In
Liverpool.
The damage suffered through this
fragrant breach OF mercantile integrity
has provoked consumers to organized
~Ar IS R,<S
turers In Switzerland and the Alsace
have been seconded by the cotton spin
Iers Of Bolton, who have addressed
through Lord Derby remonstrance to
the Khedive, In which 1t is plainly in
timated that q continuance Of such
abuses must exclude the mako from the
markets Of Europe. So far, however,
the Egyptian Government has con-
tented itself with dispatching circular
to it's employees, who unlucklly are not
In the habit OF needing pro formd
injunctions.
The figures above assigned to the cot
ton crop Of Egypt will appear trivial
compared with the yield Of our Southern
States, which for the season Of 1878
exceeded four millions Of bales. But we
should remember that the amount re-
tanned In this country for home con-
ratio, having trebled Ii thirteen years,
and absorbed in 1873 nearly a third Of
our whole pr0ductieh. IN View Of the
rapid development Of American manu-
features and the relatively slow expan-
sion OF our cotton crop, It Is not surpris-
ing that European buyers should regard
with uaeaeiness and concern the short
comings Of Egyptian producers. N Y
SIM. ..45tE..4,t ~ 43c.Yr