The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-11
TEN CENT COTTON COMING.
AN EXPERT BELIEVES THE LIVERPOOL
PRICE WILL BE IL CENTS.
Alfred b. Shepperson's Views-Last
Years Surplus IL Dwindling, the
Mills are Taking More, and the
Crop IL short.

Crop Is Short.
New York, Sept 9O.-Alfred B. Shepperson
author Of Cotton Facts has furnished the
Southern Associated Press with the following
opinion as To this years cotton crop; MT
| Shepperson is neither buyer nor seller o
cotton, but possesses usually good facilities
for accurate Information covering the entire
cotton belt. He said:
| .While in many sections the cotton plant
has matured so large proportion OF lls iruit.
age that the yield would not De apPreclaois
Increased by delay OF frosts, mere rs a greg. ca
deal Of fertile bottom land upon Whlch tne
plant will continue to make and mature Irult
| until killed by severe frosts. No froSts nave
yet occurred In the cotton belt. Estimates ~
this time Of the probable size oi the cottoll
crop are, therefore. necessarily paseo upon upO,,
the occurrence of general Kllllng lrosts
throughout the South at about tne usuai OF
average dates. Should these frosts De deiayed
until later than usual. the crop VIII easily eH,
ceed any present estimate by several huhoreo
thousar1d bales, while should they occur ear
lier than usual, the crop VIII pc iar oe'oM Tue
estimate. The acreage is calculateo 0y me
department Of agricultuse as pracllciIiy tlle
same as last season. The general conoltl"ns
affecting the crop have been unfaroraole. A
late and cold spring followed by protracted
drous hL In Texas, have resulted IN oad stanus
with considerable repianting and some ahan-
donment of acreage. Excess OF rain ana sev.
eral storms in the Atlantic States, win
drought again in other sections ana serious
damage by worms in the Gulf states are tne
the usual indications OF good CROP. Assum.
ing that general killing frosts VIII occur at
about the usual time my adVlces indicaIe
probable yield Of about 6,SOO,OOO Frosls last
fall were earlier than for several years, ana
seriously curtailed the crop. For several sea-
sons large quantities Of cotton have bern mar
keted with each crop which was grown 10
preceding crops.
marketed and 1t Is probable that the COM
mercial crop OF this year will not diner ap,
precably from the actual yield. estlmsteo teS
the actual yield OF cotton last season at o.4Oo-
600: The difference between that and the COM
mercial crop being made up from cotton from
previous crop. Compared with last season y
yield the present indications point 10 the Iol-
lowing gains, viz; 360,OC0 bales IN Alaoama a,
Mississippi and Louisiana. being 70 per cent !;
200 900 bales in Arkansas. being 81 per cent;
100000 bales in the two Carolipas, Georgia and
Florida, being l5 per cent. The TOTAL OF tne
gains is 6aes hema nhe pie'1 ost n Of 4o
bales. This deducted from the estimated
gains will leave net gain of 4OO0OO bales up
on last years yield OF +, 10000 bales. Iennes
see willprobably make about the same crop
as last season. ,,,., H.
"Some correspondents, whose facilities ior
obtaining information are exceilent anu
whose standing are or the hlgnest, 90 not
think the gain in Alabama, mississippi ano
Louisiana will be over Is per cent, and the
gain in the Carolinas over 10 per cent, while
am informed that the Commissioners oi az,
riculture of Georgia estimates lne ylelu VI
Georgia will not exceed that OF last year. i ne
receipts at the ports for the week just ehdeo
were %, ono bales more than for the CORES
ponding week last year, ana ~ is pfooaoie
that this weeks receipts will be liberal. Ear.
ly receipts are no indication OF the extent OF
the crop, for a small crop may mature quick
ly and be promptly marketed.
"rhe visible supply OF cotton In tbe World,
which means the stock outside OF the mills.
is about 4OO, 900 bales less than year ago. Ihe
stock held by European and American spin
ners is far below last years, while the con-
sum ption in Europe is as great az at that time
last year, and many British mills have maue
contracts for their entire product Tor severai
months ahead. Owing TO the financial tron-
bles. our own spinners are buying very spar
ingly, European views Of the market are
based upon the American crop OF 7.JOlOVo or
more. ,,o,.,s
ding, being Id higher than inns oay iast
year. Liverpool merchants OF standing,
think that with an American crop OF 15N.OOO
bales. cotton would easily be worth 5d Ii that
market. In this opinion, one of our oldes
and most esteemed cotton merchants concnrs
and I, not only agree with him but think the
specuitive purchases might easily carry the
prices half penny higher. In the matter OF
cotton prices, New York follows Liverpool
and sets the gait for all American markets.
Much interest is felt on the report OF the con-
dition OF the cotton crop on Oct. l, TO De L.
sued by the department OF agriculture. While
have not even an Acquaintance with the STA
tistician who makes up the department re-
port of tho crops, I am satisfied the October
report will show lower condition OF the crop
than any October crop report since 1885,