The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-20

| sucoiucb view OF tWenty-tnfee years prog
ress Of cotton culture In tho United States
In four periods OF Eve years each and one o.
three years:
| <reroos Average leverage
area annual @yenriy rTsid
| planted production oddnions 10 per acre
| 1s7o-74... 100000 $4,000 100000 1851
ls7b-7v.. 100000 l.1oaoao 1920 900 1884,
| asso-et.. 10esoooo 1.48a $50 o58.oo0 1890
| ass5-sa.. 19, $4,000 1,esze2 100000 Is4.a
1890 p3...la.1a3.ooo 2oo2. Coo 100000 1917
.Decresse
In this table the gross weight OF product
is stated. and Is subject to deduction OF
6.s per cent. tare. but the yield an acre ia
not weight Of clean cotton grown.
| The consumption OF American cotton has
continued to increase as rapidly since
| 1889 90 as In the preceding ten years; and
the worlds annual requirements Of the
| product Of Southern fields now equal
100000 tons. or 100000 commercial bales,
per annum. and. with average yields, Is tho
equivalent Of 22.OO0.OO0 acres. being much
| moro than we have ever had under the
staple. and some 100000 In excess OF tho
area now employed.
As Is the case with wheat, great stock of
ootton has been pressing upon the market
and depressing tho price to an Improbable
figure; yet this surplus is not the result Of an
acreage IN excess of the worlds needs. but Is
due to the fact that the acreage yields from
the crops Of 1890 and 1891 have been equalled
In only ono previous year Cs7o) when the
acreage was greatly deficient. Tho yields
OF 1890 and 1891 were thirty-hve pounds an
acre In excess Of the average Of twenty-three
WI L., ,ta1I A.
acreage planted In 1890 and 1891 equalled
the product OF 100000 acres, and had the
effect Of adding 100000 tons or some 2. SOC. 900
bales to the worlds supply over average
harvests from the area employed. Follow
Ing after the crop Of 1889. which was the
greatest In volume grown up to that time,
and per cont. above the average in yield
per acre. the world 8 markets became glutted
and prices fell. The subsequent reduction
OF the area under cotton by more than
100000 acres. and the progressive increase
OF the worlds requirements afford reason
able assurance that values are not soon to
DO affected by like cause.
The area now employed in growing cot
ton Is no greater than that Of eight years
since. and the Junereport Of the Department
OF Agriculture Indicates that 1t Is much
less. 1t Is probable. however. that an i'd
vance in price which will follow the disap-
pearance OF the surplus resulting from the
phenomenal acreage yields Of 1890 and 1891,
will cause some expansion Of the cotton
fields: but the deficient area under all
staples but wheat. which also Is deficient
when the whole world Is considered, will at
an early day cause concurrent advance Of
the price of cereals as well as Of cotton. and
prevent any undue expansion of the cotton
area. although such area being now clearly
less than demanded by the worlds require
ments. will admit Of much greater in
crease than seems at all probable.
One remarkable feature attending the In |
crease Of the cotton area from 1880 to 1890,
was the concurrent decrease of tho area
under all cereals in the cotton growing re- !
giOns east Of the Mississippi by more than !
500. 900 acres. Notwithstanding anincrease Of |
population and tho requirements for all |
forms Of grain. This shows how complete |
ly cotton has absorbed all the new acreage |
and trenched upon the needed food areas In |
the effort to keep pace with the worlds re-
qulrements for fibre. Evidently this process
Of converting grain areas into cotton fields
can proceed no further. for. as the North
western grain areas no longer expand, the
cotton States must hereafter produce a
greater proportion Of the needed grain, or
pay progressively higher prices for the
necessary supply.
During the ten years ending with 1890 the
area under cotton increased 4.2OO. 900 acres.
More than 100000 acres being wheat land
to this culture. 1t Ia seen that the
lap Iauntad fn |
out little in excess Of 100000 acres. or
about 100000 acres per annum. The mills OF
he United States now work up yearly
,wenty pounds Of cotton for each unit of
tho domestic population: and the annual ad-
iition thereto Of 100000 necessitates an
annual addition to the area under cotton-to
meet only the added domestic requirements
OF more than 10000 acres. This is very
much more than the net annual increase Of
he last thirteen years while In the last
hree years the area has diminished more
han 100000 acres. that much of the cot
on acreage having, since 1891. been diverted
o corn growing. And still the corn area of
he nation as whole has. since 1882
drunken more than 100000 acres, and the
otton area is. with average acreage yields,
lso deficient 100000 acres.
II the populations OF European lineage
ontinue to increase as during the last
thirteen years. and continue to consume cot
on at the same rate per capita. and II we
urnish no more than "a per cent. Of the
supply. it will be necessary to
estore at once to the cotton fields the 8.OOO,-
DO acres diverted to corn culture: to con-
ert 1900. 900 acres more Of Southern grain
elds into cotton-bearing lands. aud to
id yearly more than 100000 new acres ,
D tho area under cotton. Is this practical
10 or even possible2 t