The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-11-22
A SHORT COTTON CROP.
It Will Hardly Reach Nine Million
Bales.

Oa the heels of the government esti-
mate of 5000, 000-bal crop The
State has received from Latham, Alex
ander & Co. CT New York circular
letter, bearing date November Is,
which indicates a crop OF sos, 500
bales. This firm is one of the Oldest
and most responsible in the cotton
trade and its aarual statistical review
is standard book Of reference. IL It's
circular 1t says that havirg received
many letters Of inquiry as to the prob
able total cotton crop Of the United
States it mailed i, POO letters to select
ed and reliable correspondents covering
every cotton-growing coua:ry in the
south-banks, BANKERS, cotton commits
sion merchants, brokers, proprietors of
public gins, railroad officials aud plant
ers-and received 2. 500 replies of aver
age date November I. These Latham,
Alexander & Co. consider ''as reliable
as any Information that can be OBJ
tained" Tabulatcd they show the fol-
lowing results:
The average Of 297 letters makes tie
decrease in Alabama II per cent, indi-
eating a crop of 961, $40 bales as COM
pared with l, l59, GEO bales for the last
crop year.
Arkansas, 24O letters; ,verage esti-
mated decrease 80 per cent, or crop
Of $50, 800 bales. Last year, S34: 600
bales.
Florida, % letters; average estimated
decrease 10 per ceut., OF a crop Of
63. 900 bales. Last year, 7O,000 bales.
Georgia, 566 letters; average esii-
mated decrease 10 per cent, or a crop
of 1,244. 100 bales. Last year: 1885,
900 bales.
Louisiana, 116 letters; average esti-
mated decrease Ii per cent, or crop
of 507 400 bales Last year, 800 00o
bales.
Mississippi, 299 letters; average esti-
mated decrease y Per cent, or a crop
of l 339, 800 bales Last year, l, 522,
600 bales.
N~rth Carolina, 233 letters; average
estimated decrease % per cent or a
crop of AS, 9l0 bales. Last year,
5S3, 600 bales.
South Carolina, 26S letters: average
estimated decrease % per cent, or a
crop Of 1872 bales. Last year,
1,0l2 900 bales.
Tennessee, 135 letters; average es!i-
mated decrease % per cent, or a crop
81 2lS, $50 bales. Last year, Ala 900
1exas, ETC., G23 letters; average esti-
mated decrease 81 per cent, or a crop
Ut 2. 1852, $50 bales. Last year, 3, 555,
600 bales.
The sum OF these averages for the
whole south indicates crop of s, 709, 500
bales against II, ,275: 600 70. the last
crop year.
Latham, Alexander & Co. add that
2, 40 Of the $500 correspondents re-
port that the crop has been more rapid
ly marketed, or shipped to market as
quickly as in former years, and 442 cor
respondents report that from 5 to -
| per cent. more than last year has been
held on plantations, town and cities
for higher prices.
Our special agents. they say, who
have been travelling through the south
for the past month to ascertain the true
condition of the cotton crop fully con-
firm the foregoing estimates.
IF the rerlies from other states aver
age as conservatively as those from
South Carolina we think that the crop
in the south as a whole Will be below
rather than above the estimate of
$500, 600 bales, for opr own guess at
the crop Of this State would be between
700, 600 AID $50, 900 bales.
1t is only matter Of time when Eu-
rope will begin to buy eagerly and
heavily at advancing prices. For those
who can hold cotton it is still the best
thing to hold Columbia State.