San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-15
The Csttsn Aa.urActure.


Tho CoW0n QanUInCtures
From the Scientific American
The @cotton year" statistically, ends
September l, when the preceding years
growth is substantially all marketed,
and the picking Of the new crop is well
under way, this part Of the work ex-
tending up to the end Of the year, and
sometimes later: It is now certain that
the crop of 1880-81 will exceed that of
1s79-SO, which was 5,781 1852 bales. and
was the largest crop over raised in the
country up to that time. The receipts
reported up TO August 10 were &, 735, 1856
bales, against 4,0l4,226 bales to the COR
responding date last year. The guam
tity of cotton in bale varies, although
the improved machinery for compress
ing and baling has tended to make all
bales heavier the last few years. The
total weight of the last crop was 2,771,-
797, 1855 pounds, the lightest bales being
OF Sea Island, weighing 348 55 pounds,
and the other descriptions varying from
400 to 500 pounds. Beside the Ameri.
can growth. India and Egypt together
contribute about 1900, 600 bales annual
ly to the worlds supply of cotton, but
of SO Indifferent quality as to affect but
little the sale of the American staple
with prices ruling as low as they have
for few years past. n
Especial significance will be given to
these figures this year, and to every
thing pertaining to the cultivation and
manufacture of this great staple, by
the exhibition to open at Atlanta in
October, all the preparations for which
are in very forward state, and give
promise of affording a worthy repre-
sentation of the vast interests concern
ed. Many had wished that such an ex-
hibition might have been held in some
Northern city, near the principal CEN
tiers of manufacture, but this would
have reduced to minor place what will
be a leading feature Of the coming
show the illustration of the conditions
under which the crop is raised, and the
practical working Of the appliances by
which it is made ready for market. The
exhibition, coming as it does right in
the harvesting period, aud in locality
where the gathering of the crop can be
personally Investigated by all visitors,
will present more wildly to the minds
of mechanics, inventors, and business
men many questions of importance
which have hitherto received compare
lively little notice. These. include not
only such as relate to the merits of diff
ferent improved gins and various de-
vices to facilitate the picking and bet
tering the average condition of the crop,
but the larger problems connected with
the possibilities of the future in the
more extensive utilization of the seed
and the stalk for the production of oil,
feed, paper, substitute for jute, etc.
We have had large and healthy
growth in the manufacture of cotton
goods for a few years past. which has
covered substantial development in
this branch of industry in the South
itself, where the factories already in
operation are making good dividends
and many new ones are projected. But
we do not yet make up into finished
goods more than about one.third Of the
cotton we grow. In this department of
industry Great Britain has long been a
great way in advance of all the rest Of
the world, taking about one.half of our
raw cotton, and nearly all of that fur
nished by other cotton growing coun-
tries. For the past few years times
have been "rather hard" with her in
this speciality, as in many other manu-
features, but the falling off in actual
amount of production seems to have
been due rather to depressed state of
trade generally than the competition OF
manufacturers elsewhere. For the four
years between 1870 and 1875, her pro-
duction exceeded $500, 100000 annually,
the raw cotton costing from one-third
to two .fifths of this amount, and the
remainder going to pay for English la
Dor and capital. And one-ffth OF this
great total was exported, while our own
exports of cotton goods for those years
averaged about $3,O00,000 yearly; they
have since reached $11 900, 900; but our
imports of cotton goods in 1880, not
withstanding a pretty stiff tariff, were
but little below $50, 100000.
We come next to England In the
manufacture of cotton goods, running
more spindles than France and Ger
many together, but how far behind her
we s i'll are these figures too plainly in
dictate. Undoubtedly lower wages and
cheaper capital give the British manu-
facturer his principal advantages, to
which are to be added better means OF
communication with different markets,
long established connections, ETC.; but
with all these in his favor he has been
especially alert, within few years past,
in seeking ont and originating improve
ments in the machinery required in the
business. Marked advances in this d.
rection have been made in the cotton
and fharn &c