The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1876-06-29
COM1rERCTAL IYTEREsTs.

sogatSon fn Gotten Pressing.
Memphis Avalancha, 81 o. Lettr hay %.
It would hardly Be necessary nor in
teresting to detail the account and re-
ports coming from. overfoWed districts
in the Mississippi valley, now that the
river is receding and the danger passed
There ia but little doubt in my mind
that some individual hardships have
been experienced along the river, and
those who suffered most up to now, are
not likely to plant as much cotton az
they at first anticipated more specially
as the season has 90 far advanced. Still
it must be admitted that the damage
done By the Mississippi overflow is not
likely to prove a. serious a. at first antic-
ipated, and, therefore, we may conclude
that this excitement Of the battle IS viz
tuaIly over, few cOmbatants actually en-
gagged in the fight wounded, and many
Iookers-on, interested in future" opera
tiOns, badly crippled.
Take your average report, as cri-
teriOn, am inclined to.think, from what
/ have noticed along the river, that
the two hundred and ninety-seven thou
sand not planted at the time your report
was closed, viii probably Be reduced to
about fifty thousand by the first Of June,
thus making the total acreage about the
same as last year.
Asa general rule, parties here inter
ested in cotton seem to beof opinion that
the Chronicle report, to be issued early
next month, viii show a large increase in
the acreage compared with last year,
more especially in the states Of Texas,
Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi;
while on the other hand, the decrease in
the Atlantic states may show to the eG-
tent Of eight per cent. in Georgia and
South Carolina.
In your report yen have fOreshadowed
the increase by calling your readers at
tention to the fact that such large in
crease is compared with last year icti-
tious," inasmuch Is the additional acre
age planted in the Gulf states from the
twentieth of May to the tenth Of june,
1875, never was enumerated in the an
nual report of either the Bureaus or the
Commercial Chronicle; it remains, there
fore, to be seen to what extent the total
acreage planted, set forth in your report,
will agree with that Of the four named
authorities. As for the condition OF the
crop, reports from Georgia, Alabama and
South Carolina continue very favorable,
in fact more so than at this time last
year, while accounts from other states
less so, and bear no comparison with the
condition Of same time last year.
Future prices Of cotton depend very
much IN the issue Of political troublesin
Europe, whether England, like on former
occasions, will grin and bear it, or
whether she viii not be too late to find
as strong an alliance to enable her to
make use of some of her Armstrong; "
in order to assist in settling the Turkish
difficulties. doubt, however, very much
whether England viii entangle herself
in war where she can't gain anything
but lose much other prestige again. The
big stock of cotton held in New York
adds with every day moro to the strength
of the bears, and unless some of the lat
ter change their coat and turn against
their own comrades, we can hardly look
for any decided improvement at present.
1t is, however, probable, that should PO-
litical troubles on the other side be set
tied amicably, that confidence win bere-
stored, the general trade improved, and
by that means the slightest Unfayorable
crop report, based on reliable facts, may
give cotton strong position.
Local stock Is very much reduced
and as a general rule, with but very
few exceptions, factors have sold freely
and dare say this year has again proved
to many planters that Matching don't
pay"
The Louisiana sugar crop IS promising
we'll, Planters report good stands, and
it seems that the late rains have been a
great benefit. on the whole, prospects
az good yield are very generally dis
counted. II would probably not Be uR-
! interesting to your cotton community to
hear If a new invention Of q cotton press,
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