The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1900-11-30

speculators, rather than holding the
crop until the consumers or mill
owners came after it.
81 am thankful to say that cast of
the Mississippi river during the pres
ent year the planters have been in
formed as to the extent of the crop
and as to the worlds demand for
their cotton. Realizing that it was
worth at least 10 cents pound or
more, they have declined to soil it
for less. They have received 10
cents for what they havo sold.
"By tho co operation Of the NOR
chants and tho bankers they have
been enabled, so soon as the buyers
succeeded in depressing the price, to
take their cotton off the market, and
as result they today see the price
OF cotton going back to the figures
at which it sold during tho month of
September, and I have no doubt the
balance Of the cotton crop thus cared
for by our farmers will bring them
over 10 cents n pound. This price,
however, could hardly have been re-
allied had the farmers raised 1,O0O,-
Oo0 bales Of cotton. Then with
surplus of cotton in sight the buy
ers might have afforded to wait until
the sellers were compelled to dispose
of the crop, and when tho supply of
cotton, whether raised from foreign
fields or from our own, exceeds the
volume which the mills can manu-.
facture, or exceeds the volume,
when manufactured, the mills can
sell, then Il depreciation Of price
must necessarily follow, and our
planters will find that they have de-
creased their income by increasing
their labors, and that they have re-
ceived less return for large
amount of cotton than they would
have received had the crop been
much smaller.
"Thero arc, therefore, three ques-
tions of vital Importance which af.
fect the price of next years cotton
crop. They are, How much will the
mills of the world consume in 1002P
How much lint cotton will the bal
ance of the world produce for other
domestic consumption in 10O1Y How
much will we produce in the South
in 1902"
Mr.. Smith took up the history of
cotton culture and discussed it in an
interesting way.
In 1852, representatives of thirty
| five counties met to discuss meas.
ures by which the loss of the Ameri
can crop could be supplied, and
great stimulus was given to cotton
culture in India, Egypt, Africa and
Brazil. In two years the supplies
from these countries we're greatly
increased, but soon after the war
the South regained control of the
market.
India, he said, is the greatest pro.
ducer Of cotton next to the Southern
States. The crop in 1890 amounted
to 100000 bales, while that of
Egypt was 650,000 bales. Since
1880, Russia has given attention to
the cultivation of cotton in Turke.
stan from American seed, and the
crop has reached 100000 bales. In
1855 Japan produced $4,000 bales
In 1895 Brazil raised 100000 bales
and exported 10000. It is esti.
mated that the lands of Brazil could
produce >40,O00,O0O bdies annually.
China exports q small amount of
cotton to Japan.
Mr.. Smith argued that climatic
conditions gave the Southern States
an advantage over other countries in
the production of cotton, but called
attention to the efforts made by
other countries to develop the IN
dustry, particularly in India and
Egypt, and the German experiment
in Africa. He said tho consumption
of cotton goods had increased 700
per cent in fifty years and predicted
a demand Of 100000 bales in
twenty five years.
He said the state department of
agriculture should be diligent in col.
Letting information about cotton to
the end that before planting the