The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-19
One Million Bales.

| Ole MluOl Bales
Already this season Savannah has re-
ceived more than !, OO0, 600 bales Of cotton.
Never before has she received so many
bales in a season. And the prospect is
that her receipts viii be between
| 10000 and $4,000 bales. There are
I still more than I've months in the present
season, and, owing to the low prices which
have prevailed during the last three
months, there is a great deal Of
cotton in the interior. much Of which will
seek the seabOard al this point
Savanaah's cotton receipts this year show
that she is pretty certain to maintain her
position as the second cotton port Of the
country. Just before the civil war
the receipts Of New Orleans were between
four and five times as large as those of Sa-
vannah, aud for years after the war the
most enthusiastic friends of Savannah did
not think that her receipts would ever
reach the million bale mark. They said
that the seat Of The cotton empire would be
in the southwest; that king cotton would
establish his throne in Texas, because there
new land in unlimited quantities could be
had aud more desirable cotton could be
produced.
They were not altogether right In
their prediction fertilizers were not a
factor. They did not realize what CONNER
cial fertilizers would do for old, land nor
how large part they would play in the
production of the cotton crop. The cotton
crop Of Texas has increased wonderfully,
but so has the production In the territory
ff-sh sNan -
OF fertilizers old land is made as
productive as new, and it is cheaper
than land reclaimed from the tim
Der. 1t is fair to presume, therefore, that
while there will be steady increase in the
cotton production of Texas there will also
be steady increase in the amount pro-
duced in the South Atlantic states.
OF course, in considering Savannah's re-
celpts this season, the phenomenal crop of
this year must not be overlooked. If
immediately after the civil war any one
among those interested in cotton, either in
this country or Europe, had talked about
an 1000, 0O0-bale crop at some future time,
he would have been regarded as fit subject
for lunatic asylum. The impression then
was that the world would never see big
ger crop in this country than was that of
1859 60. 1t was argued that the blacks,
being free, would not stay in the cotton
fields, and that, in most localities, the whites
could not do the work required
to raise cotton crop. How short-sighted
is mani The whites and blacks both work
in the cotton fields in oil parts of the cotton
belt, and just quarter of a century after
the blacks became freemen a crop OF more
than 5000 900 bales is produced.
And the crop is going to steadily increase.
100000 bale crop is not very far in the
future. Just as soon as the world needs SO
large crop it will be produced. And it
will need it before long, The population of
the nations is increasing wonderfully and
the increase in the demand for cotton keeps
abreast Of the increase in population.
The part that Savannah's railroads are
playing in the increase in her cotton receipts
is an important one Two new roads helped
to swell them this year-the Savannah and
Western and the Alabama Midland. And
the amount Of cotton they place upon Sa-
vannah's wharves will be greater each sue
ceeding year, because the country tributary
to them is rich and inviting. and is being
brought under cultivation rapidly.
Next season Savannah will have another
railroad-the South Bouud-and within
year or two she will have perhaps two more
roads With these additional railroads
there is no reason why her cotton receipts
should not approach pretty closely to those
of New Orleans.
Savannah's future will be great one if
her business men show themselves capable
of making the most Of the advantages which
she possesses. They are hardly awake yet
to their opportunities. They have it in
their power to double Savannah's business
within the next five years and bring within
her limits a population of 100000. Will
they make the most of what is within their
reachl Let US watch and see.