The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-06
COTTON RECEIPTS
 SHOWED DECREASE
Birmingham's Total for Year
 Just Ended 82.565 Bales
GOOO OUTLOOK THIS YEAR
Crop In Jefferson and Nearby Coun- ties Larger Than Usual-Flne Hay and Corn crops-Plenty
 of Money.

The total cotton receipts in Birmingham for the year ending August 31, 1903 were s2 ss5 bales as against 1Os.oSS bales for the year ending August S1, 1902 These figures show a falling off of 25,52S bales in the re- ceipts for the year Just ended compared with the previous year.
 The decrease is accounted for In seV- eral ways. In the first place there was a falling off in the crop raised in this sec ton. The crop in fefferson and adjoining counties was very poor. Probably not more than 5000 bales came here by wagon This year the nearby cotton VIII amount to 15,OOO bales. it is thought me bulk of the cotton that comes to Bir- mingham is grown in Alabama within a radius of seventy y-flve miles and In MS sissippi.
 In Jefferson County.
 A prominent factor said that the cotton area in Jefferson county was being srao- ually reduced owing to the growing popu- lation of the mining district, which caused the farmers to raise vegetapies instead of the fieecy staple
 New communities are constantly spring ing up and the demands for the products of the truck farmer increase proportion- ately.
 In spite of this fact, however, Birming- ham is and will probably continue to De one of the most important cotton mar kets in Alabama Montgomery Is the best market in the state, the receipts at that point for the year ending August S1 be- ing nearly 130,OOO bales.
 The falling off in railroad receipts In Birmingham during the past year IS somewhat unusual, however, as the in- crease had been pretty steady from year to year. In 1899 the market controlled 15. 900 bales and in 1900 this had increased to 115.OOo bales.
 The Requisites.
 w. D. Nesbitt in commenting recently on what Birmingham must do to retain her position as the second largest cotton market in the state probably struck the keynote. He said:
 'To increase our business four things are necessary. CD Good railroad facili- ties and rates; these we now have better than our competitors (2) Ample ware mousse IdCllllitSs Noj chNop (4) Plentiful money at low rates. It Is necessary for our warehouses to furnish more and better facilities than at pres ent If this is done and better fire pro- lection given, by united effort, lower in- surance can be obtained.
 "Our warehouses are such that insur- ance costs to per cent, while the best mill warehouses through the aid of mu- tual companies get their insurance for "a to 1 per cent. They are inadequate to house all the cotton that now comes in during the busy months of November and December and as a consequence cotton is stored in the streets and on vacant lots, exposed to sunshine and rain. and the depredations of the itinerant COW, the rapacious goat and the light-fngered seeker after loose cotton to make into quilts and pillows or dispose of at pro- fit. Here Is an actual loss of some cotton and consequent condition of that re- maining that is unsatisfactory to the spinner who buys in our market"
 The farmers of Alabama have the best corn and hay crops this year that have been raised in the past ten years. This fact, together with the big price of cot ton and the large cotton yield, will make money very plentiful hereabouts.