The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-12-28

! advances on futures" which Is prefer
| able TO locking mp his capital wl}ich he
| wants for extension Of cultivation area,
irrigation. etc. Similarly the spinner buy $
| futures" and sells them week by week
! as he buys spot cotton. rather than lock
| IN capital in stocks of actual cotton.
But the United States are more and
more consuming It's own cotton supply
! In 1891 with between Is. GOO 600 ard
6 600 600 spindlcs, nearly $500 600 bales
were consumed in the states Now VITA
20 900 900 spindles working the consurap-
tlon has risen to over four million halos
ana the report for 1904 which has caused
the present panic In New York estimates
the crop al under ten million bales Our
remedy is obvious-to promote the cult
walton OF cotton IN our colonies ana de-
Tendencies The information that has
been collected by the British Cotton
Growing Association is most encouraging.
In the report Of the first years work
Of the association il is stated that there
is an unlimited area Of land in oar colo
mics and dependencies suitable for the
growth OF cotton of various varieties. In
the past we have neglected the raw ma
teral in the hurry to produce the manu-
featured article. In India the various
classes OF cotton are often mixed and
the quality has greatly dcteriorated. The
British Cotton Growing Association. in
a correspondence with the secretary OF
state for India, laid particular stress upon
the necessity OF a complete survey of the
existing cottons Of India, although the re
nor. of J W AIollison, inspector general
of agriculture, goes some way toward
dotny what the government OF India
are millions OF acres In the north suit
able Tor cotton growing If only sufficient
Ia Dor We're obtainable-a somewhat hone
less situation in view OF the present poi
icv Of the labor party.
In British Guiana. until the middle Of
last century, there were 400 cotton es-
tatcs. exporting 100000 pounds an
nually. In the Leeward islanCs. the
governor, Sir Gerald Strickland, has en-
deavored 10 arrange with the colonial
hank and with the Cotton Growers As
ISOLATION for d system OF loans on strict
Nv commercial lines. There Is land quite
suitable for cotton going out Of cultiva-
ton and it is hoped that much may be
reclaimed The West indies generally
were once our principal source OF supply
until sugar growing took tho place OF
cotton. In Egypt which. in American
opinion. Is alone capable OF competing
with the southern states, the complexion
! OF the great barraga will be of the great
est value to cotton growers. In Nige-
ria where progress has been retarded
| by the recent hostilities, and the want
Of railway from Niger to Kano cotton
| has been grown for .ooo years. ana the
| people understand it's cultivation. The
most encouraging report comes from
! Lagos. There is no labor question. Mr.
| Hoffman stated in recent report that
! the natives take an intense interest in
anything that would make their farms
| more profitable. 1t is we'll to recall the
! fact that during the cotton famine OF
| 1865 Lagos produced large quantities
! OF cotton. It Is now again becoming a
| settled industry, In the weller Of man
| ufacturing prosperity through which this
! country passed In the middle Of the nine
| teenth century such minor questions as
the untitled regions of our mighty pos
sessions. with all their infinite potential
| tiles. were naturally forgotten. 1t is
| to be hoped that II is not too late now,
when that prosperity is threatened with
! a period of decline.