Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-13
TIE COTTON CROP SITUATION.
a. Is. Shepperson on the Estimate OF Ten
Million Bales.

CHARLESTON, S. c., November H.
With q view TO finding out just how much
credit was to be given to the recently
published statement OF the present cotton
crop as 10000, 900 bales. and to put before
its readers trustworthy and intelligent
statement of the cotton situation at the
present time. the News and Courier APP
piled to Mr. Alfred Il. Shepperson, or
New York the weil-known cotton sta
tisticIan. and has received the following
very lucid and satisfactory reply:
NEW YORK. November s, 1871
cotton has declined again to-day.
chiefly. | understand, upon crop esti-
mate lust issued by MIR. Nell. of New
orleans. that the crop will be over lO,OcO,0OO
OF bales. The crop is undoubtedly large
one but | confess that i am unable 10
see any basis for such a large estimate
The largest crop ever grown in this coun-
try was that which was planted in 1890
The yield Of that crop was probably
9. 200 600. The commercial crop of that
season was S.6li. and the difference be.
tween this and the quantity which l
have given as the probable yield was
marketed in the following season.
There Is no evidence whatever TO prove
that the acreage of the crop now oeing
marketed was any larger than that OF
the crop of ls90-'gl. nor is there any evil
dence, to my mind at least, that the
weather conditions have been more favor
able this year than In 1890. 1 am at a
less therefore, to understand to what
cause or causes Is to be reasonably at
tributed a yield so much In excess OF
the monster crop or 1871 Inc
acreage In 1890 was about 2O.JVO.OO0
acres. and i do not think any one has
claimed or will claim that II was any
more this year.
been making since February LIST care
full Investigation of the question of the
cotton acreage. and has employed spe-
cial agent for the purpose. who has
travelled throughout the South and has
investigated the matter. as 1 am INFORM
ed In the most thorough manner pos.si-
bic The Acting Secretary or Agricui-
ture wrote me on october 18th that the
result of the investigation was that the
acreage in 1898 was l9.525.oeo acres. There
has been but small increase In the
acreage this year over that of 1885. the
Department Of Agriculture calling the IN
crease less than / per cent, so that the
acreage of the crop now coming In, ac-
cording TO the departments estimate, Is
about l9,650.0c0 acres.
"I.et us assume that the department
has underestimate IL somewhat, anu
that the acreage Is as much as 2oVo.co
acres This. as you will see, Is S"'wo
acres less than In 1850. and Yet
We are asked TO believe that
upon an acreage Of 100000 acres less
than In 1890 crop OF a million bales
more has been grown. l am not prepared
to accept such a conclusion. because IT
IS utterly repugnant to reason and COM
mon sense
cat these low prices. or anything like
them, the tendency will be to largely
increase consumption Of cotton every
where. and there will evidently be upon
the part Of spinnsrs q general disposition
N buy cotton greatly In excess OF their
wants for the season. because at these
prices they can well afford to carry In
the mill-warehouses large supply OF
cotton into the next season.
'.Thsre can BE- no question that unless