The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1901-01-15
Cotton Cultivation in Russia

With reference to the question of cotton
| cultivation in Asiatic Russia. the British
Foreign Office has just received a further
report by H. A. Cooke, the British COM
mercial agent in Russia, on the subject
! of the so-called cotton crisis in the Rus
+ sian manufacturing market, caused by
the extraordinarily high prices abroad and
the rise in duty the imported raw ma
terial. In this report it is stated that the
! Commercial and Industrial Gazette, the
| organ of the Ministry of Finance, while
repeating its assertion that there. is in
fact crisis at ALL but merely some
temporary difficulty caused by the dear
ness of raw material and fuel, rejoice at
the encouragement thus given to the de
yelopment of Russian Asiatic and Cauca-
sian cotton growing, adding that it is
an il-wind indeed which blows no one
any good.
Though the rise in price of foreign cot
, ton has naturally been reflected to some
extent in the price of the Russian arti
Gle, yet manufacturers have made good
bargains with the Central Asian growers.
whose quotations are considerably lower
than those of the foreign market AS Il
result, the turnover with the Central
Asian article has been very large during
he two or three weeks subsequent to
October Is. the date of Mr.. Cookies report.
Manufacturers. with the possibility OF
acquiring the Russian raw material Tin
quality in no wise yielding. it is said to
American. and at times superior to the
latter considerably cheaper than the
foreign article, have meanwhile complete
ly suspended negotiations for the Ameri
can markets. and for the next few months
will manage almost exclusively on the
home supply. Up to the date of MIR.
Cookies report. the 18th ult., it was sup
posed that already about two thirds of
the whole crop of the first sort from
American seed had been brought up.
This increased demand for the Russian
product can not but extend the deN eiop-
men, of cotton cultivation, not only in
Central Asia, but also, and still more So.
in the Caucasus. The progress already
made is very rapid. In the Fergan ter
ritCry, for instance. the area under cult
walton has increased. in comparison with
last year. by over 80 per cent, which will
enable the Russian ma. 1et to cope more
easily with foreign scarcity and artificial
rises abroad. Further progress in this
direction. if it should not entirely relieve
Russian mills from the necessity of buying
opinion Of the Commercial and Industrial
Gazette. weaken the influences of the
foreign market on the Russian manufac-
turing industry and release the latter
from 100 great dependence on LIVERPOOL
Bremen. etc This will mainly depend,
however. on the increase of available
areas for cultivation and on improved
irrigation. both of which conditions there
are satisfactory grounds for believing
will be fulfilled.
One considerable obstacle to be removed
from the path of Russian cotton growing.
however. is the hand money. payment
III advance system now prevalent in Cen
tral Asia. For. being paid before his
crops grown. the Turkistan cultiva-
TOR ceases TO interest himself in the
quality of the cotton. mikes the seeds in
discriminatory. etc. With the removal Of
his and other attendant evils, the Ga
zctte fCrsees a favorable future for Rus
sian cotton Dlanta tations.