The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1895-08-16
KING COTTON'S STORY TOLD PROPHETIC GR0UNDHOGS
HISTORY OF THE STAPLES Pro
DUCTION IN THIS COUNTRY.
4 Hundred Years Ago the Entire
Crop Was 10000 Bales-Now the
Annual Product is 100000.


Annual Product is 100000.
THE Manufacturers Record
publishes a brief history of
cotton production in this
country, by r. 81. Edmonds,
the editor. just 100 years ago, the
total crop of the South was 10000
bales, but by 1920 this had increased
to nearly 4OO,O 900 bales. Under this
rapid gain in production prices gradu
ally declined from forty-four cents
pound in 1901 to thirteen and one-half
cents in 1889.
With prices ranging from thirteen
to fortyfour cents, and averaging for
forty years, from 1900 to 1889, frac-
ton over seventeen cents pound, cot
ton cultivation was so profitable that
we cannot wonder at the disposition of
the people of the South to concentrate
their efforts more and more on cotton
cultivation to the exclusion of indus
trial interests. Beginning with 1S4O
there came period Of extremely low
prices and the Cotton States suffered
very much from this decline. In that
year the average New York prices
dropped to nine cents, a decline of
four cents from the preceding year,
and this was followed by a continuous
decline until 1846, when the average
was 5.63 cents, the lowest average
price ever known to the cotton trade.
Even in 1892, when an enormous
surplus of cotton following the de-
preston that succeeded the Barring
failure forced prices to what many
claimed was the lowest point on record.
the average at New York was $50
cents, or nearly two cents higher than
jim 1916. Moreover, in 1916 the seed
was without value, while in 1922
the scale of seed added almost cent
q pound to the value of the crop and
transportation was very much cheaper
than in 1916. In 1s47 the crop was
short and prices advanced sharply, only
to drop back to eight and then to
seven and one-fourth cents, making
the average for the decade, from 1910
to 1S49, the lowest ever known in the
cotton trade.
After giving in detail the statistics
of production, consumption and prices
for each year since 1910, the Manu-
facturers' Record says:
A study of the foregoing figures will
show that seven years of successfully
increasing crops, as from 1885 to
1892, was unprecedented in the
history of trade. It is doubtful if any
leading crop raised can show such an
unbroken increase for seven years.
Jumping from S, 700, 900 bales in 1884,
IS to 6, 800, 900 bales in 1856, there
was practically no hating, as the vari-
ations in two years were too small to
be noticeable, to 9,O35, 900 bales in
1892, gain of $500, 1000 bales, or
nearly sixty per cent. advance in seven
years. It ought not to have been ex-
pected that consumption could keep
pace with such an increase. Fortunate
" there camea break, and we have now
had two shortcrops. This will help to
reduce the enormous stocks that have
overweighted the market for several
years. With surplus stocks worked
bff fresh start can be made, and il
next year scrop is moderately small the
cotton trade Of the world will then be
on sound basis for higher prices, be-
cause consumption will then have
overtaken production.
In eighteen years cotton has brought
into the South over S., ZOO, 900, 900, q
sum SO vast that the profits out of il
ought to have been enough to greatly
enrich the whole section. Unfortun-
ately, the system which the poverty
following the war developed, of rails
ing cotton only and buying provisions
and grain in the West, left at home
but little surplus money out of the
cotton crop. The West and North
drained that section of several hundred
million dollars every year, because il
depended upon them for all of its
manufactured goods, as well as for the
bulk of its food-stuffs. Hence, of the
enormous amount received for cotton.
very little remained in the South,
The increase in diversified farming,
the raising of home supplies, the de-
velopment of trucking and the build
ing Of factories are all uniting to keeE
at home the money which formerly
went North and West. Whether the
cotton-raiser himself be getting the
full benefit of this or not, the South
at large is necessarily doing SO.
The figures given in the foregoing
tables show that the lowest average
yield per acre for the seventeen years
under review was 1853 pounds IN 1881
and the highest 209s pounds in 1891.
Had the yield per acre in 1891 been as
low as in 1881 the crop would have
been less than 6, 700, 900 bales, instead
of 9, O35, 900 bales.
From 1910 to 1S49 the average
price in New York was eight cents per
pound, a lower average for nine years
than any single year since has shown
except 1912.
The importance of cotton in oul
foreign trade relations can be appre'
ciated from the simple statement that
since 1875 our exports of this staple
have been valued at So, 800, 900, OO0
while the total exports Of wheat and
-four combined for the same period
have been 50, 800, 100000, showing 6
difference of $1,000, 900, 900, or ove1
fifty per cent. in favor of cotton
Moreover, during the same period we
have exported about 5000, 900, 900 O.
manufactured cotton goods, making
the full value really $4,000, 900, 600
Compared with the exports of wheat
-four and corn combined, the value O
which since 1875 has been 50, 100, 900,
900, there is a difference in favor o
cotton of 5000, 100000. Going bacl
to 1920, it is found that the tot>,l valu'
of -four and wheat exported for thu
last seventy-four years is So, 913, OOO-
| nnn Of 10 O00 An0 Loco 4han Ah.