The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-20
A Prosperous Future Before the Cotton
States.


Exclusive Of the cotton grown and con-
sumed in China, central Asia. tropical
Africa, South America. and Mexico. the
Quantitive value Of which Is O matter of
pure conjecture. the United States now fur
nishes about Is per cent Of the commercial
supply. the proportion having increased
from 60 per cent. in 1870; and the demand
for American cotton Is still increas-
ing at a ratio exceeding four per cent. per
annum. while the acreage shows no expan-
sion in recent years. As hors used. the term
commercial supply includes the quantities
used by the mills Of the United States.
titles exported from India. Egypt. and the
United States to China. Japan. and Mexico;
but not such cotton as. outside the United
States. Europe. and India. is consumed In
the district Of growth.
THE SUN has recently shown that lndia's
relative importance.in supplying the worlds
progressively increasing requirements for
raw cotton. diminishes instead Of increases.
This is true Of all sources Of supply except
those Of the United States and Egypt.
So far as Brazil and other minor sources
Of supply are concerned. their contributions
are not only relatively but absolutely less
than ten. or even twenty. years ago: and
apart from some increase OF the domestic
Russian supply. resulting from increased
production In Russian Turkestan. the pro-
duction OF cotton. for other than domestic
use in the district Of growth, is steadily de-
creasing in all areas but those of India,
Egypt. and the United States: and lands
heretofore employed in cotton production
have been and are steadily diverted to food
crops. principally sugar.
High hopes were at one time entertained
by the British Cotton Supply Association
that Queensland. Fiji. and other Australia
sian districts would add materially to the
commercial supply and relieve British man
ufacturers from an embarrassing depend
ence upon one source. and the possibility Of
a recurrence of the cotton famines OF 1925
and 1876. All efforts In this direction have,
proved Significantly +. litlcss: for
though under the stimulation of war prices
and bounty offered by the colonial
Government the cotton area Of Queensland
reached 1900 acres in 1870. yet 80 COM
pletely had the culture been abandoned be-
fore 1880 that In that year only fraction
Of one acre appears in the colonial reports
rs employed In growing cotton. With
higher prices and the Queensland labor mar
ket better supplied, there is reason to be-
lieve that cotton culture would be profit
able. for the average yield por acre is 20 per
cent. greater than in the United States,
and both climate and soifseem well adapted !
10 the plant. although there are some com
plants OF rust and many OF stained cotton, |
from overabundant rains at har- |
vest time. !
In Fill sea-island cotton culture that |
was thought to be very promising has |
given place to one Of cane fields, and little |
,r no cotton is now grown.
In the earlier stages Of the cotton-spin-
ling industry largo part of the supply
vas derived from the West Indies and Bra
Ill: and the quantities received from those
sources, while becoming relatively less
to Increase until after the war Of
s12. when the contributions were OF greater
'olume than at any time prior to our civil
var. From 1871 to 1878 the Brazilian ex-
'orts were at tho maximum. the annual
verage for the five years being about
1000 tons; but 1t has since shrunk to about
alf that volume. Unless the domestic con-
umpaon Of Brazil has greatly Increased.
Brazilian production Is receding as the ex-
orts Of the last five years have been u per
ont. less than during the preceding five.
Apart from Indla.the British dependencies
ow furnish absolutely less Of the CONNER
lal supply than during the Arst fifteen
ears of this century; and the area there
mployed in cotton growing is probably
'ss than at any time since the war of 1912.
Though there was some expansion of 1t in
no sixties and seventies. as n result OF
Ugh prices and the earnest efforts OF the
otton Supply Association.
Russia has recently entered upon cotton
rowing propaganda. and the results ap-
ear to have been more satisfactory than
1859 attending the efforts Of B1itish OH.