The semi-weekly messenger., 1903-05-08
COTTON
Total Production in 1902
According to the Gen.
SuS Statistics
BALES ll,O78,882
The Production Was Increased in
Every State Except Texas and Ala:
bama-The Money Value of the
Crop Was $5O1 .S97 ,1a4, and it is
the Second Most Valuable Crop in
Leads in Value

the United States-The Corn Crop
Leads in Value
Washington, May 5.-The census Of
flee today made public the final figures
of cotton production obtained from the
reports of cotton ginners. The quantity
of cotton ginned from the growth of
1902 exclusive Of linters amounted to
II 1.07S,SS2 running bales. Bales as press
ed At the ginneries are equal to 10,630,945
bales of a five hundred pound standard
or counting round bales as half bales
10,5SS.350. During the four years COW
cred by the ginning reports of the Gen..
sus office the average crop exclusive of
linters, has been 1902, ,277 bales of 500
pounds. The crop of 1902 shows an in
crease of 72S, Cos bales over this average
while the crops of 1899 and 1901 show
a decrease Of 556, $50 and 392,5 ,532 bales
respectively. For the crop of 1902 there
has been a general increase in all the
sissippi river with the exception of
Alabama and Texas. Drought in Ala
bama and drought and the boil weevil
in Texas are responsible for the losses
in those states.
The report contains many interesting
details concerning the variation of pro-
ductiOn in the various sections Of the
country. For instance attention is
called 10 the degree of compensation
which has been maintained with the
past three crops between the divisions
of the cotton belt and made by the Mis-
sissippi river. East of the Mississippi
production decreased in 1900 313256
bales. This was more than an offset by
the increase west of the Mississippi
river, of 1,090,S92 bales or 25.7 per cent
In 1902 the territory east of the Missis-
slppi Increased in production in q man
ner which largely compensates for the
material loss west of the river. The
per cent of the country's production
grown in 1902 east and west of the
Mississippi was 53.6 and asa, respective
ly, against 47.2 and 52S in 1900. To
show the extent of the reduction in the
cotton crop in Texas. it is shown that
whereas in 1900 that state produced 34
per cent. of the entire crop of the Unit
ed States or about one-quarter of the
cotton supply of the world, in 1902 the
Texas product was only a little over %
per cent. of the entire product of this
country. The states showing the most
naticeable increases in production in
1902, are Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana
and Mississippi
The increase in Arkansas is remarka-
bic, being 264,622 bales, or more than
81 per cent. over the total reported for
the smallest crOp-that of 1S99-and
loI.221 bales, or over 10 per cent. over
that of 1900, the largest crop prior to
that of 1907 There was also a large
increase in the production of Indian
territory and Oklahoma. The combined
crops of these territories for 1902 were
54o,3S2 bales, as compared with 251 ,591
bales for 1899, an increase of 329. 791
bales, or 153 per cent. The figures on
the ginning industry show that there
are 3O,94S ginneries in the United
States The average number of bales.
glnned per active eSta bliShment IN
Texas was 563, in Indian territory S85,
and in Oklahoma 993; against 254 in
| Alabama, 292 in Georgia. and 2O6 in
| North Carolina This great difference.
in the average number of bales of cot.
| cotton handled per establishment IS due
I to the extensive employment in the
newer cotton production states of mod
| ern methods Of handling seed cotton,
| and a more general employment of
| round bale presses.
The value Of the crop for 1902 is es-
| timated a. $5O1, S97 ,134, making it the
| second most valuable crop of the Unit
| ed States. corn taking first rank and
| wheat third. The value Of Cne raw
| cotton exports for 1902 is given at $780,
| 631, SIG, giving that article the first
| place in value in American exports.
| The export price for 1902 was about one
| cent per pound less than that of 1901.
| The value of the cotton crop of 1902
in the states included in the Louisiana
| purchase is given at S113, ,885, ,044, or
| more than five million doffars more than
| the original price to to France for that
| territory with interest at per cent,
compounded to the present time.
| The rapid development of the cotton
| seed oil industry is represented as an
| nually increasing the quantity Of short
| cotton saved to the commercial world
by the reginning of cotton seed for oil
extraction. A canvass of this industry
has developed the fact that $50 cotton
| seed oil mills have been operated during
the season of 1923 and that they have
obtained from the reginning of seed
Of growth og 1902 linters amounting to
1928 bales of 500 pounds each.
Cotton bulletins are promised at more
frequent intervals in future years. The
/ first report for next season will cover
all cotton ginned Of the growth Of 1903
l UP to September l. the second, to Octo-
Der Is, the third to November IS. the
l fourth to December 18th. The fifth
will be the final report, and will cover
the total growth of the year.