The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-05-28

the reverse from those prevailing in Al
apama, where they have had the great
est rain fall for years. In Georgia IL has
been SO dry that much Roadway in
planting could not be made. About 10
per cent of the cotton crop IN this State
was not planted un.il after the 10th of
May. The acreage will be about the
same as last year.
In Arkansas the outlook for the cotton
crop Is also quite unfavorahle. The sea-
son there was two weeks late and the
cotton first planted suffered much from
the cold nights and the cut worms,
which are worse than ever before
known in that part OF the country
Much of the early planting had to be
ploughed NJ and replanted. The acreage
Is about the same as last year.
In Mississippi the great flood has al
most entirely deprived the people OF
the hope OF a cotton crop for this year,
as FAR as the Delta lands are concerned.
me water fails very slowly and no cot
ton can be planted before June, ii even
then. In other portions OF the State the
cotton crop is very backward on ac-
count Of the cool nights and dry wealth
err. fhe slightest rainfall in much of the
W id portion Of the State is recorded
lSSo. The acreage in the upland
por tons will be about the same as that
of last year.
In North and South Carolina. the pros
poets for good cotton crop are also
unfavorable. Planting was almost done
by the list of May The acreage in Nort!.
Carolina is about per cent greater
than It was last year.
In Louisiana and Texas the crop
promises fair, excepting that the acre
age in Louisiana will be slightly re-
duced from what it was last season.
PROSPERITY RETURNING.
Prices are not good, and. indeed. 1t
was but short time ago when they
We're lower than they ever were since
the way-back ante bellurn days. But
this condition of prices has been in COM
mon with the shrinkage of values
throughout the entire world. While all
sections of this country have suffered
alike from the terrible financial de-
New Orleans to-day has fewer
scars than any other city in the Unit
ed States: and. indeed. many financiers
OF repute are now prophesying that the
South viii be the first section of this
great nation to lead the way back 10
normal prosperity. And it is thought
that even now that the very last shades
of the dark night of financial distress
are passing away. Business seems To
be slightly picking up and in Il few
months II is believed, and not without
reason, that trade and manufacturing
viii resume its ordinary activity and
the great distress of the recent past will
remain only in remembrance as terri
Bile dream.
PROFITS REDUCED.
The low prices that have obtained for
some time have caused a very great re-
duction in profits, but the planters
have been reimbursed to some extent
by having gone into diversified crops.
The all-cotton system" has met with q
great change. We have entered into an
era, during which, 10 matter what may
be the price of the staple. farmers Will
have enough to feed themselves on OF
their own growing. In fact. the South
ern cotton grower bids fair TO become
more independent than ever before in
his history
FUTURE PRICES.
1t is difficult to predict with any de-
gree of certainty the amount or quail
ty of coming cotton crop. What We
shall see later on both in the way OF
crops and prices is highly problemati-
cal The financial outlook is much bet
ter and prices bid fair to mend consid-
erably. Confidence is increasing. The
crop in sight May /, was S,124, 1876 bales
FREE WHARFAGE.
New Orleans is moving towards lower
port charges through eventual free
wharfage and other improvements, and
in the due course OF a short time this
port will bid for a vastly greater bulk
of trade than 1t at present handles. The
bidding will be in the nature of that
done by the highest bidder. and more
trade is bound to come very soon. Much
Improvement has already been done
along the line of cheapening the wharf
age and still greater improvements are
near at hand. Cheap fuel and other nat
ural advantages will yet do much foi
this city in the way of manufac lures
and it is entirely safe to predict thai
the New Orleans of the future-and In
the near future, too-will witness every
inn. rFoFa ont n
commercial greatness that its most san.
guine friends and supporters now pre-
dict. AS it is to-day, this port is the
first cotton market of the world and lis
merchants are prepared to show such
advantages in handling the staple either
for spot or future delivery, as can moi
be afforded anywhere else.
NEW ORLEANS NATURAL AID
VANTAGES.
The conditions at New Orleans are
such that the city could protitably com
pete with any OF the New England o,
Western States In the manufacture OF
cotton goods. The cotton mill industry
demands for its success labor that i;
good and plentiful. easy access 10 thC
supplies of raw material at low fig
ure, cheap fuel, market where this
products can readily be sold and {
moist climate. In all of these particu,
lars New Orleans Is more favorablS
situated than Eastern mills. and con
sequently has great advantages over
them. These advantages viii doubtless
within a few years induce "A number OF
Eastern mills to locate In this city
Another great advantage of a location
in this State, Is that cotton mills are
exempted from taxation. This eXemp.
ton is both State and municipal
New Orleans being the largest c0ttoT
market in the world and carrying dur
ing the entire year an immense stock Ol
cotton which IS best suited for theil
purposes. the mill owners need not car
ry any stock and thus would be SaveC
all the carrying, handling and compress
EXPENSES, and since cotton is selling a
such a low figure, the cost OF handling
COMPRISING and transportation, bears
a much heavier percentage to the cos
per pound than when cotton sold It g
higher figure. For instance: Cotton al
10 cents. expenses at | cent would bt
10 per cent; cotton n cents per pound
expenses cent. 20 per cent: and il Is q
yS-ell-known fact that with cheaper cot
ton has not come any material reduc-
ton in handling and transporting same
Therefore. giving New Orleans an aG-
vantage over the East. amounting ia
10 per cent OH the cost of the raw ma
terial. computing on the present value
of cotton, would be an advantage not
in existence several years ago. Ana
while New Orleans several years ago
saved 10 per cent. II now buys IT'S raw
material 20 per cent cheaper than can
the Eastern mills.
New Orleans enjoys a bounieous sup
ply of fuel. She can draw directly on
Pittshurg or Virginia through the me-
dunn of the river. Alabama also SENDS
enormous supplies of coal 10 this city
by rail. The competition between these
different coal fields makes fuel very
cheap. The cost of coal here is lower
than It. is at any other point in the
United States. The expense of manu-
featuring is further reduced by the. fact
that an inexhaustible water supply IS
always readily accessible This permits
the use OF cOndensing engines, which
again saves at least % per cent in fuel.
With the new types of engines and the
coal in use here. the generation Of one
horse power requires the use OF one and
is 10 saw. one horse power can be main
tained for 800 working days for about
So