The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-11-15


centage OF this increase. India. emma AM
Egyiy. can Iaase cotton on large scale
iCo. but with all their cheap labor, TN
southern planter can raise and tae Ameri
Gun manufacturer can work tp into saiabit
goods our cotton and place II In Eastern
mari ets at prices lower taan the natives
can ever hope TO accomplish.
Much of this depends upon the superior
4 mills which are being erected in the ccttor
belt and upon the more intelligent opera
tofs III them but tae how price OF cotton
is q factor or the greatest Importance. Cot
ton has steadily declined in price since the
acreage has been increasing. Planters have
Fought this downward tendency, individu-
ally and collectively. but without avail. No
one Is sure that the bottom mas been
reached yet. There ails plenty who predic,
| i-cent cotton within another decade. This
4 seems utterly inconceivable TO the growers,
especially In many Of the older cotton dis
| tricts, but so did 5-cent and Scent cotton
| years ago. The attempts to restrict the
| acreage 81 cotton have failed repeatedly. III
| our crop falls below certain point In the
| worlds supply there will be a correspond
| ing increase in other countries. English
capital and brains aru working mani in
| Egypt TO control the cotton trade of the
| Far East, and any tendency to loosen our
| hold upon the great cotton industry would
be the signal for the rapid extension OF the
cotton fislds OF Egypt. India and even
demand must regulate the price.
Tue new cotton belt Is more able TO raise
cotton today than many Of the older re-
gions. This is due to the better soil and
climate. Texas forced prices for cotton
down moro than any other factor In that
princely domain King Cotton flcurished 80
well that planters who had been struggling
for years wish Indifferent cottlon sail could
no longer compete in tho open market.
TAey wera showed to the wall and forced
to raise other pnoducts. Some of the c3un-
ties in the Cotton States partially or wholly
broke away from cotton and turned their
attention nrcre to grass. grains and fruits.
Others are sure to follow, and not only
counties, but States. But this is no in
dication that tho cotton crop will he re-
duced Tire change is duo merely TO tho
shifting of the cotton belt
Tho South is meeting tho same shifting
conditions that faced the Eastern farmers
half century ago. When the great West
opened up its marvellous fields of corn and
wheat tho Eastern farmers were paralyzed
by the streams of golden grain that pour
ed in the markets and sold for prices that
threatened ruin and starvation for them
But after decade or two they recovered
from their surprise and fear. and, abapd- |
oning grains. they turned their attention TO |
fruits and dairylng.
Cotton farming is probably as primitive |
as any other branch OF agriculture. The |
Capital, scjsnce and brains arc revolution
izlng the industry. The shifting of the |
cotton belt, from the east to the west of the |
Mississippi, is of no greater Importance
than the new methods of culture which are
being adopted. New and superior plants
are being developed through selection ard |
intensive cultivation The old, half-farm-
ing system is being replaced by large plan
tations, Systematically organized and con
Quoted, ard they will produce more cotton
to the acre and at less outlay than the
one horse unscientfic farms Of the shift
less, careless negroes.
For a long time the contention was made
by intelligent growers that an ignorant
shiftless darby or white man could raise
rs much cotton to the acre as a skilled,
scientific agriculturist, but this could hard
" be true, even though it required little
to raise the plants. In the
light Of recent developments the folly Of 1t
s made apparent to ALL The cotton
planter. with new seed, new machinery ana
new methods of culture, increases the yield
n way that threatens the horse
arms with ruin.
1t is believed that the United States will
llways be able to control the cotton trade
II the world. and If our land was properly
armed we could easily run other countries
ut of the market. But the old cotton
'atches of the shiftless farmers must i'm ,
rove or disappear. Other cotton countries
tand ready to increase their cotton crop
lpon the slightest provocation. 1t was the
var OF the rebellion that made Egypt II cot
on growing country Of importance. When
he var closed our cotton ports to England
he khedive OF Egypt put out immense cot
On plantations. and between 1861 AM I
$50 the crop of Egyptian cotton increased !
Yer 400 rer cent. This sudden discovery
the country's possibilities has worked .
injury to cur cotton industry ever since. b
'ct only does Egypt supply a good deal of S
he demand OF the world for cotton, but we d
nport some 100000 bales year ourselves.
India has taken similar stact in cotton O
rowing, and it only needs some opportune =
loment 10 stimulate il to a wonderful de- II
.lopment A war that woul! interfere
18th orr cotton growing, CT sharp de- o
'ease in our cotton acreage so that prices .
ould advance few cents pound, would e
? followed in India and Egypt by a douo- p
ne or trebling of the acreage. The al- c.
n.age thus gained would require years 10
'ercome. How low cotton can 90 and yet
rove profitable rs problem that the flu Y
re must decide. With a new stimulus in 4,
+ far Eastern trade relations, it may =
ION be found that 5-cept and even 4-cent ~
tton will prove great boon to the South "
d. incidentally. to the country. m