The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1897-11-06
PRICE or cOTT0N.

from the New York Sun article reviewing
the coming cotton crop. We commend this
article to every reader of this paper. If it
has any meaning at all it should induce
cotton planters of the South to hold their
cotton crop long as it is possible for them
to do SO.
The prevailing low price of cotton is un-
accountable to us. There is an admitted
shortage of not less than 10000 bales of
cotton. crop of 100000 would not
more than make good this shortage at this
time. That under these circumstances the
price of cotton should fall to cents in
New York is to US an anomaly in the
markets. The only way we can account for
it is that the spectators believe that the
crop is above 10000, 900 bales, and that the
receipts, large as they have been, are still
checked by the yellow fever. In our iudg-
ment, the warm weather has induced an
unusually heavy marketing of the crop, and
the receipts throughout the season will be
great disappointment to the market.
From the report furnished by Secretary
Hester, of the New Orleans Cotton Ex-
change, at the close of the business on
October ~, we take the following state
ment.
Fo. the twenty-five days of October the
total shows a decrease under las year of
$4,000 bales, an increase the same
period year before last of $1,000 ard a de-
crease under 1894 of $4,000. For the
ffty-two days of the season that have
elapsed the aggregate is behind the fifty
two days of last year 100000 bales, ahead
of the same days year before last $4,000,
and of 1894 by 261, 900. The amount
brought into sight during the past week has
been 4o5,213 bales, against 434,S75 for the
seven days ending this date last year, 4o5,-
sos year before last, and 5oS,244 same
time in 1894, and for the twenty-five days of
October it has been I,o3o,o1 bales, against
I,3SS,17o last year, I,25o,S2o year before
last and 1854, $40 same time in 1894
These make the total movement for the
ffty-two days from September I to date
2,5o5,552 bales, against 2,62o,6oS last
year, 1,7Ss,o15 year before last and 2, 1884,
677 same time in 1894.
The movement since September shows
receipts at all United States ports of
I,755,oS5 bales, against 1,o54,6I6 last
year, I,225,21S year before last and
1,567,46e same time in 1894; overland,
across the Mississippi, Ohio and Potomac
rivers to Northern mills and Canada, $780,
7o2 bales, against I92,o45 last year,
1c9,o1S year before last and 1888 same
time in 1894.
Foreign exports for the week have been
2So,75S bales, against 277, I4o last year,
making the total thus far for the season o4S,-
eo5 bales, against o53,7o5 last year, or a
decrease of 4.7I2. The total talSings of
American mills. North and South and Can
ada, thus far for the season have been 5Ie,-
473 bales, against 5IS,4S7 last year. These
include 55o,o44 by Northern spinners,
against 344,So Including stocks left over
at ports and Interior towns from the last
crop and the number of bales brought into
sight thus far for the new crop, the supply
to date IS 2,4S2, 1o6 bales, against 2,9oS,152
for the same period last year.
Comparisons to close of corresponding
weeks are misleading, the close of this |
week last year would take in fifty-three
days of the season, year before last fifty-five |
days and in 1894 ffty-sx days, against only
ffty-two days this year.
Our advice to farmers everywhere is to
hold their crops long as possible. The
price of about six cents in New York is |
The worlds demand for
cotton is greater than ever before in the |
worlds history. The vast Improvement of
mand. The worlds supply is $50, 900 bales
short, and it is doubtful if the crop. of this |
year exec eds the crop of last year to that
amount. We trust that between this read
ing and January there will be marked |
advance in the price of cotton, and the
conditions of the market, in opinion, |
Justify this expectation.
In this connection ask of our readers |
to give us, in short, very short letters, their
views about the ''cylindrcal bale,'' or
round, freproof cotton bale. In next
issue will have a full account of the /
machinery used in making this bale roll. !
What we want now is the views of farmers
who have had their bales thus prepared for
market. Later will ask the farmers |
to state their views of the effect the I
profit in cotton planting. First want the
facts; then the argument for and against