The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-11
THE SUPPLY OF COTTON.
A COMPREHENSIVE srfrEMEyr OF
THE VISIBLE STOCK.
One Third Less Than That Held a Year Ago
on Plantations Yet to Como Forward.
Distribution Of Corn and Wheat.

NEW iOhN' Adtch ll-Brads treet'a
will Tomorrow issue special COTTON
review based upon the reports OF nearly
1000 correspondents. OF which the follow-
ing Is an abstract:
Reports from 1874 correspondents I'm ten
Southern States Of stocks OF cotton nj
.i9l towns on or about March ist. enabled
Bradstreet's to make an unusually com-
prehensive statement OF the visible SUM-
ply OF cotton lying back OF the usual
visible supply points waiting TO coma
forward and be counted in the crop Of
the season OF 1882 90. OF the l. ta4 towns
reported 800 or 90 per cent. onv renor,sd
stocks OF cotton on hand. At a.. towns
our correspondents say no stocks we're
held on March LIST, OF which towns. how
ever. 80 reported stocks held on March
/, 1892.
The total stock held March I. 1894 was
Sii 753 bales. against 50S.0j9 bales a wear
ago. an apparent decrease. according 10
correspondents of over % per cent. The
decreases by states show some curious
differences. Florida shows the heaviest
decrease Of any. while Louisiana shows
the smallest. The adjoining state OF
Mississippi alsb shows only a moderate
falling off. The small decrease In Louisi-
ana. however Is. by reference TO detailed
reports OF stocks due TO heavy Increase
in stocks held at Monroe The cause OF
this exceptional increase is holding for
better prices. Texas, with one quarter
OF the total stock reported. shows a de-
crease Of 80 per cent. The average for
the entire cotton belt. II will be seen.
Is considerably below this.
The result OF an enumeration OF stocks
at nearly 1900 interior Southern towns
shows a total held OF $4,000 bales. about
one-third less than reported held wear
ago. This under ordinary circumstances
might be taken 10 indicate that as far as
the leading towns OF the South are con-
cerncd the amount held and likely 10
figure in the count of the crop is only
two-thifds Of that held last year Scat
tered reports as TO amounts held by farm
ers on plantations go far to confirm this,
and practical exhaustion OF supplies on
plantations is reported by many cores
pondents in different States.
The general statement apparently Is
thas)ne-thiId less than that held year
ago on plantations is yet 10 come forward.
In regard to the amount likely 10 come
into sight from now on, Bradstreets
says:
IF this amount was as last year, all
but about 8 per cent OF the total crop.
on would be 3SS 900 bales. This. added to
the total In sight on February 2Sth, this
year. would reach q crop of 6.i76 200 bales.
IT, however, the same proportion shown
I'm stocks at towns holds good as TO plan
tations to stocks, one-third decrease from
last year the amount 10 come in sight
will be only &S00 bales. which, added TO
the amount in sight shown on February
18th. 6.O6S li2 bales. would give total
4 . 4 Utu ..Ta 49,. d
influence an early season or better prices
than last year may have on the new crop
receipts in August remains 20 be seen.
| II the proportions above shown hold
good, however, 1t does not seem reason
/ able TO expect a crop OF cotton much
lower than that indicated In Bradstreets
| OF December IL. 1897
Corn, Wheat and Stocks.
| WASHINGTON, March lO.-The crop
| report FOR March OF the Department or
| Agriculture relates 10 the distribution or
| corn and wheat and stocks remaining
on farms. The estimated proportion Of
wheat on hand IL 252 per cent OF the
| last crop. the smallest percentage I'm ten
| years. The quantity on hand aggregates
| l35 900 OOO bushels, 3d. 900 900 bushels less
| than last March and 2OO,WO bushels
more than the remnant Of the very small
| crop OF 1890 A very large proportion Is
| found in States that do not spare a bushel
FOR commercial distribution. only AWOVV
being in the principal spring wheat states,
| more than half OF which Is required for
seed I'm the spring. OF the winter wheat
| States only Kansas and California have
| any considerable surplus available FOR
| commercial distribution. The corn on
hand. as estimated, aggregates 69.sf7 80
bushels. or 3S5 per cent. Of the last pro-
| duct. This proportion has been exceeded
I'm March four times in the last ten years
and the quantity has been exceeded h'e
| times.