The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-13
SIZE OF THE COTTON CROP.

The statistician of the Department
of Agriculture estimates. as already
published, that the crop this year will
be 1O.100O00 bales. The estimated
yield per acre for North Carolina is
1919 pounds, the largest yield of any
except the Gulf States. Upon the
basis of d crop estimate of more than
ten million bales the crop has taken
a tumble, not warranted by the esti-
mate.
Charles d. Freeman & Co., cotton
dealers in New York, some months
ago estimated that the maximum cot
ton crop would be 9,400,00O bales Now
they have issued another statement,
based upon replies from every cotton
State, in which they predict that 1.-THE
crop may surprise the entire trade by
being smaller than even the smallest
estimates now current" The answers
to their questions show that the per-
centage of crop unpicked is 8. 77-100,
the percentage sold by the farmers is
1872; the percentage of crop shipped
651a, and the reports nearly all agreed
that the crop this fall has been mar
keted more freely than usual" Com
menting on the cotton situation, this
firm says:
For the past twelve years the average
movement of the crop into sight to the
first of December has been 50.71 per cent.
of the total out turn. The lowest per-
centage which has come into sight to the
date named has been 47.42 per cent, and
the highest has been 54.83 per cent. II
| this crop has moved as fast as the fastest
| The total out turn would be 8,746504; if
it has moved on an average, the total out
turn would be 9,457 125; if it has moved
| as slow as the slowest, the total out-turn
| would be 10,113, $50. In making these
| calculations we have taken the amount
| in sight to November Goth, as shown by
the Financial Chronicle. which is 4,79o,-
| 10S bales. In determining, therefore, the
| size of the present CROP it seems to us
! that the most important fact was to as
certain what percentage has come into
| sight to the first of December. The per-
| centages stated in reply to our inquiries
1 would seem to prove that this crop has
| been marketed faster than any crop in
/ the past twelve years. 1t is certainly
| true that the exceptionally high prices in
! September and the first part of October,
with the heavy discounts on the distant
positions, and with the exceptional demand
for immediate delivery of spot cotton,
| were all calculated to insure the rapid
| marketing of the crop. To this end too,
the splendid open weather which prevailed
throughout the South during the picking
season should also have contributed. An
other fact worthy of note is that the small
ed their maximum movement in October,
| and large crops their maximum movement
in November. The maximum movement
this year was attained during the week
ending October goth, when sos 1872 bales
came into sight. Much has been said in
regard to the Souths being rich this
year and in position to hold it's cotton
us absurd that planters and farmers
would not market their crop more rapidly
at from TO IL cents than they would al
and 6, and that too. when the premium
fer immediate delivery of spot cotton is
s. to so bale above the delivery foI
next Spring and Summer We have fol
lmonths believed that the weather condi-
Spring and Summer rendered large crol
impossible, and our estimate of the crol
for the time has been 100000 maximum