The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-26
THE AMERICAN COTTON CROP.
A. II. STEPHENSON SAYS IT WILL
NOT EXCEED LAST YEAR.
Quality of the staple VIII He
Much Poorer Than II WINS.

New York, December 25,-A n shopper
ION, In his annual review OF tho cotton sit
ua,iorf In Cotton Facts just out says;
| There Is n wsde range OF opinion respect
Ing the size OF the American cotton crop
now being marketed. estimates being nil
| tho way from 10000. 900 to IL, 000. 900 bales.
The most current estimates are for II ,000.-
600 10 II 10000 bales The reports OF the
United States department OF agriculture
not only do not assist tho public In reach
ing correct idea OF tho crop. but really
| befog tho matter. Its report of November
| 10, as sent to tho New York cotton cx-
| change was 80 remarkably misleading and
inconsistent that Il is not worth while to
consider II seriously. /, could be inter-
or 13.000,000 bales. From tho size OF the
commercial crop of ls97-9s til,eoO,000
bales). 1t seems evident chat the acreage
was much larger than the governments
! estimates.
To October 1 tho prospects OF the crop
We're somewhat better than at the same
time in 1897. though the crop was mol So
| advanced. But tho conditions after that
date Last season were so extremely favor
able for the maturing aud picking OF cot
ton that the crop WAS very greatly in
crease5 thereby Since October ! this year
tho weather has not been as favorable as
last season; killing frosts were unusually
carly being quite general on October rs
10 30. and there has been too much rain.
Many persons have claimed that these
frosts would not reduce the size OF the
crop. Inasmuch as killing frosts check
all further growth and development. ex-
cept OF the bolls which are nearly ma
tured, IL VIII be realized later on that the
crop was considerably curtailed by the
frosta, which, with the Subsequent rains,
VIII give 10 the crop larger proportion
of stained and low grade cotton than
usual and very much larger proportion
than last year. My adwccs Indicate a
larger crop than last season west OF the
Mississippi river, II all Is gathered. but
losses elsewhere may make tho crop no
more than last season about 200, 900
bales. " as much, and with much lower
spinniES qualities.
As the low prices required larger qllan-
tity Of cotton tlan usual TO be shipped to
pay the farmers debts and as n great many
peopIe rush their cotton TO market when
prices are low. for fear that they may tall
still lower, the large receipts TO this time
arc not safe criterion by which to Judge
OF the size OF tho crop.
The Egyptian promises 10 be less than
last season by the equivalent of about
i00 900 bales OF 500 pounds net. As the
Indian mills arc now CONSUMING more than
ever before II Is net safe to expect that
Eutlppc will get more cotton from India
than last season II Is estimated that
fully 100000 bales 81 American cotton
were consumed last season by thf mills
OF the United States. Europe. Canada. Ja-
pan and Mexico.
There Is now every probability that tho
American and foreign mills viii increase
their consumption over last season fully
as much as the CONSUMPTION OF that sea
son exceeded the previous one, and, per-
haps more. This would mean the consuup
ton TING Bcascn Of ", 900, 900 bales OF Amor
lean cotton and the shortage Of the Egyp- |
tiaD crop may increase tho figures to TO-
100000 baaee.
During ihis month middllng cotton az
cincd in New York 10 B b-16c. being i-ic |
bfiow the lowest price OF the season Of
1884. rs and lower than at any limo since
is4s. This price is equal TO about SIC az
interior points In tne South, The cost q
production on we'll manages farms last
year was about 5 lao per pound. u the
Weld was half bale to the acre. ana. q
course more whsn the yield was icse, TIA
Weld VIII not average anything like -
much as this. nor will the Quality average
middliDg.