The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-07
HESTER ON COTTON CROP Exhaustive Report Of the Secretary. TOTAL YIELD 10,O11,374 Alabama Showed Falling Off
 of 5000 Bales. Good Prices Obtained By Farmers, and the Crop Was Productive of
 More Revenue Than any.
 Previous One.

New orleans, Sept. 6.---.5> .-Setry Hester's annual report was issued Ill full today. He puts the cotton crop of l903-04 at 1O,011,374 bales. de- crease of 716,1S5 under that of lso2-oS. of 669,306 under that of 1901-02 and or 372,04S bales under that of ls0o-ol.
 He says that compared with last year, in round figures. Texas. includ- ing Indian Territory. has increased 45 900 bales. The group knows as other Gulf States. consisting or Louisiana. Arkansas. Mississippi. Ten nessee. Oklahoma, Utah and Kansas has lost 4S0.000, and the group of Atlantic States. Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ken lucky and Virginia has fallen on 332,- 900.
 Yield of the States.
 Mfr. Hesters report on the cotton crop of the different States Is given as follows in thousands of bales
 Alabama 1000 against 1,05o last year; Arkansas, 705. against 1000; Georgia, 11,s25 against 1,470; Florida. b5. against 55: Louisiana. s24 against sS4; Mississippi, 1887. against 1,4o4; North Carolina, 563. against 575; South Carolina, S25, against $50; Tennessee, etc, 4b1 against 509; Texas and Indian Territory, 2.s76 against 2.ss1. Total crop l0.011, against 1O,72S.
 He makes the actual production of Indian Territory 266,556 bales. against 36e,251 last year: of Oklahoma 177,057, against 1s6,0O0 last year and of Mis- souri 34.367 against 35,s06 last year, the two last being included under the head of Tennessee, etc.
 He puts the average commercial value of this crop at sSl.Gs against $4452 last year; $41.01 the year before and $47.63 in 1e00-01. and the toNl value of the crop at s716,501.54S against s4s0.77o.2S2 last year and s43S,- o14,6s7 the year before.
 Value of the Crop.
 Tn reference to the total value Mir Hester says that while the crop is smaller by seven hundred and odd thausarA bales than lest year and Is less ny l,20S.000 oa' es than the crIr of 1S9S-99, which was the largest ever marketed, 1t has brought a better re- turn in money values than any ever produced in the south.
 Referring to the increase In values over last year he gives details as to prices, showing that while the lowest range of last season was from Septem- Der to January inclusive, this year the high scale of values was during the period of marketing the bulk of the crop and goes on 10 say that the result was that farmers obtailA more of the advantage of the rise instead of its coming as usual after the cotton had passed out of their hands.
 In other words, there were marketed up to January 3l of this year in round figures S,010.000, which sold for SAT- 710.O00. while up to the same period last season the amount marketed was 1885 ,000 which brought $336,665, ,000, 0 difference of only 25.0O0 bales and ap increase in the amount received of over $13S, 100000.
 Staple Much Better.
 Another important feature of this years crop. he says, which aided values was it's superiority in quality and sta> pie, the difference averaging from q quarter to a half grade over last year on the entire yield. The crop was singularly free from extreme grades with a very small proportion of the poorer qualities.
 Further referring to crop values, MT. Hester says that when 1t Is considered that the combined values of the past three crops resulted in payment to farmers. common carriers, merchants and other handlers of over $1,5S6, ,006.- 900, their importance as a great factor in the prosperity of the south and of the entire country may be fully appre- ciated. He says there has been a ten dency to overestimate the values of both this and the last crop by many millions of dollars, and contends that the real facts in connection with this years crop are of themselves sufficient ly gratifying.
 He makes the actual growth for this season 10,032. 900 bales with the remai k that the commercial crops of the past two years more nearly approximate, d the growth than ever before.
 Southern Spindles.
 He puts the spindles in the South at S.6l5,369, an increase of 367.094. These include 6S5,26S in new mills not yet completed. The net gains in the num- ber of Southern mills over last year has been 22. making the total now 762. Of these 671 have been in operation during the year. 57 are idle and 34 are in course of erection.
 The consumption has been divided as follows:
 Alabama. 21239S. increase of 594; Ar kansas, 1.444. decrease of 1.471; Georgia 419,561, decrease of 6.13S; Kentucky 2O,341. decrease of 1.025: Louisiana, l6.- 12l, decrease of 1882: Mississippi, 3l,- S44, decrease Of 6.l3I; Missouri. 4,34l, decrease of 3s2 North Carolina, 53O,Sl4 decrease of 20,9SS; South Carolina, 563.~ 9S0 decrease of 49,295; Tennessee. A. 77S, decrease of 2.773; Texas. 16.736. de crease of 6.s71: Virginia. .939. increase of 14,S91. Total consumption of the South, 1,919.252. q decrease under last year of S1.477 and under the year before of 1S.719
 Mills Not Prosperous.
 In reference to the general manu- featuring of the country. MT. Hester says that while the financial results of this crop have proven so highly beneficial to the planting interests ot the south they have been the reverse to the milling industry American mills north and south, have in fact had one of the most unsatisfactory sea- sons on record.
 The difference between the cost of the raw material and prices of the manufactured article have been such as to render many of the mills unable to make a new dollar for an old one. There have been exceptions to the rule both north and south, principally in the latter. but even where mills have consumed as much as last year. they have not worked to their capacity and thara has been A lack oS EnYabs