The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-08-06
yUTuRE OF SOUTHERN COTTON.

The increase in the area Of cotton which 10
cultivated abroad-India, Egypt and now the
Transvaal having taken steps this year 10
add about twenty five per cent. to the amount
of their cotton product as compared with the
crop of last year. hreatens.to knock still lower
the prices of our American crop.
There is already a growing demand for
Egyptian cotton in this country on account of
it's being adapted 10 the production of the
finer kinds Of cotton fabrics, and unless active
measures are adopted by the cotton planters
of the South to improve the general quality of
their staple the competition with the African
product will have the effect of permanently
lowering its value
The Dry Goods Economist, Of New York.
has recently called particular attention to the
danger which threatens the Southern planter
from this source.
1T is too late" it remarks, Ito make q d.
version in the planting by directing attention
TO the growth of larger quantity of the
Allan or Peeler cotton. But with the efforts
of other nations TO grow portion, If not all
their cotton. this early opportunity is i'm
proved TO remind cotton-p planters throughout
the South that competition is being fostered
to their disadvantage, and they cannot be too
quick in devising measures for more extensive
growth of the Allan cotton, and any other fine
long and coored staple that will answer in the
place Of the Egyptian. There is ample time
before the planting Of another crop to secure
much necessary data and seed. and we feel
confident that with proper care extended in
the direction suggested the benefits arising
from a successful growth of the long combing
staple would be very remuneratiye to the
planters, while it would confer boon upon
the cotton manufacturing industry of this
country"
The Boston Journal of Commerce utters
similar note of warning:
The cultivation of longer-stapled cotton
IL TO ~ inch in length-shonld be desdera-
tum among Southern planters of the highest
importance, the spinning of finer yarns in
Northern mills, and the requirements for cot
ton that will give numbers 40 to GO, creating
domestic demand for long-stapled cotton
which Southern planters should heed. We
ought to raise in the South the cotton that is
being imported from Egypt in largely increas-
| ing quantities To dose will require constant
attention in the careful selection of seeds
| for planting, and the best of cultivation on
we'll prepared soil. Planters have objected to
the cultivation of extra-stapled cotton because
of the additional care demanded and the less
| percentage of lint in the yield of seed cotton.
Whatever the disadvantages may be in this
respect the better price which the cotton COM
mands ought to more than compensate for any
differences"
The situation is rendered the more serious
by the fact that no duty has been imposed on
| imported cotton simply because American
cotton is exclusively product of the South.
and therefore only Southern people can be
injured by foreign competitors All of the
other staples are protected. such as wheat and
corn. in the cultivation of which Northern
Republicans are engaged. Furthermore, the
Mckinley Congress reduced the duty on man
ufactures of all the coarser cotton goods, this
being the grade which is now largely manu-
featured by the South, while the duty on finer
fabrics was increased for the benefit of North
ern manufacturers.
The result OF this, as the Charleston News
and Courier very Justly points out. is that
the cotton farmers are taxed heavily on all of
such goods that they buy. at the same time
they are compelled TO sell their own cotton,
packed in taxed bagging and hoped with
taxed ties, in home market that is as free to
their foreign competitors as to themselves"