The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-28

The value Of cotton crop depends for
the most part on the size OF the crop and
the extent Of the demand Tor cotton for
consumptivc purposes. or. IN hrleter terms
on supply and demand. As the south
raises three fOurths or four-hfths Of all
cotton produced Ia the world tho foregoing
hgures outline the main facts In respect
10 the amount Of the supply during the
past four years
But what II the demand or consumption
during the same pcrlodi According to Sec.
rotary Hester tn. worlds consumption Of
American cotton during the past four COM
meucial years is as follows:
In the year Of 1897 9S 10 1SS 900 bales:
IN that OF lseS99. l0.S6l 900 bales; IA that
of 10000. IN, 661 600 bales. and In that of
lNnol zoos coo bales The disturbances
In China during the past commercial year
appear 10 have abridged the worlds con
sumption of cotton for that year below the
normal amount China. In normal condi
ton. is said 10 take In manufactured cot
ton goods from other nations the eQuiva-
lent of 100000 hnlcs Of cotton There ore
10000 o00 people there. During thr corn
mercIl year iust closed the Chinese cot.
ton ti'ade has been greatly INSTRUCTED. and.
IN fact, almost entirely suspended But that
trade Is now again open aud the Chinese
demand for cotton goods should he all the
greater during the current commercial year
on account Of the preceding suspension ~
the trade Mr.. Ellison. nm eminent EuC-
ash authority in all matters pertaining to
consumption Of cotton is quoted as hay
Ing recently declared that the world THIS
year needed ana would consume, III II could
get 1t, II 100000 bales Of American cotton.
Two Important questions arise here. /.
What is the existing supply Of AmcT,c IN
cotton? .. What is the prospective yield
Of the crop now being gathcrcdF
l. WIN regard TO the existing visible
supply ~ American cotton. On September
III, 1901 the Visible supply was $4,000
bhales. or TINS 2W,0oo bales were held IN
Liverpool and 222,ooo in the American out
ports, and the rest Of II In tho counted
American interior towns and yarIous FOR
cign ports.
Al the corresponding date Of the wear
1900 the total Of American visible cotton
was $1,000 bales, Of which Liverpool held
10000 bales and the American ports 1aT.-
900 bales
At che same date in 1899 othe total ~
American visible cotton was 2,oSl, 900 bales,
and Of this amount 1,523,oo0 bales was htli
In Europe against only 6ST 600 bales now
held there and against only $4,000 dulles
held there on the same date In 1900.
a glance at these figures Is sufficient to
show the extreme strength Of the statistical
position and the comparative lowness Of
prevailing prices of cotton. Note that the
supply Of American visible cotton was on
September II, 1901, only 2l4,OOo bales
more than II was on September 10, 400.
mills OF the world for one single week.
And vet in September. 1900, cotton was
selling In tho southern interior for about
o'a cents, while now 1t is there selling for
less thnn ~ cents.
>. What win he the size Of the present
crop? win it he 100000 bales MS some
contend? And II not that much, how much
will II he? This Is an important question
We have now reached time Of the year
when the probable Yield should ba Indicated
with fair degree OF approximation 10 the
eventual reality In such an approximate
estimate, Texas Is nm important factor.
since ordinarily she producers one b rd II
the American crop; and crop conditions IN
Texas are such as 10 enable Texas peo1le.
who are acquainted with these conditions
to make close guess at the amount of
the probable outturn for Texas this wear.
Fer myself, have for some time heen o
year would not materially exceed 2. eap,Ol
bales. ] read through the crop reports
OF the Dallas News. oonnned in It's Issue
Of september L. and a!llag sums eighteen
columns Of that paper, Snd by this porusal
was confirmed in my previous conclu,
sons as 10 the Size N the Texas crop
would be glad II all the great American
those reports from All reporters. II thew
should do so. they would ceaas TO tall
about Texas making 3,No0,oOo bales or
even 10000 bales this year, The great
majority OF these reports places the Yields
or their respective counties At one.half or
even less than one.half OF that OF last
year Texas and Indian Territory are
100000 bales Texas making $3.50 900
bples and the Indian Territory making
10000 bales. Allowing 25oO0O bales for
bales should he the approximate Weld ~
Texas and the Territory this year
Whit will all the cotton growing Staten
and Territories, outside OF Texas and 20
indian Territory, produce this year? SOM
light will be she'd on the answer 10 This
question by ascertalning the amount Of
cotton produced during the Inst four vcars
by these States aud Territories, exclusive
Of Texas and the Indian Territory. Let
US see:
In 1897 the total crop Of the belt was
ll,2ooo0o bales OF this crop. Texas ana
the Indian Territory produced 3.O75 Ooi
bales, and the remainder Of the belt nro
duced s.l25, 600 bales w
In 1858 the entire crop was II 27S nOo
bales The production II Texas ana Tho
Territory was 5000. 600. aud that ~ M
rest Of the belt was T.7aOOOO bales
10 1890 the total crop was .. $50 O0n halns
while the production OF Texas and the Ter
ntory was 2,6slooo bales and the produc
ion Of the rest ~ the belt 8. S45 600 holes
In the year 100 the entire cron ~
loSs3,0oo bales. Of which Texas ana tbs
Territory raised 100000 bales. ana ,hhee
rest ~ the cotton belt 6.5S3OOO "a"
Thus We see that the largest prod,
tion Of the belt In any one u these eo,
years was, exclusive of Texas and fbo ~
NtoFy, s,L25,0oo bales In 1897, ana ths