The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-24
COZ TON.

VIEW i >JIl4N, "a ug ust -, Il 49, on the
I'd OF August 4 ADVISED the World to puy
cotton irrespective OF the showing niauo
by the government 4 report. Since tnut
time the market has advanced u cent
Z a pound. s5 i again urge those who5are
likely to need co tton during the next SIX
months to secure their supplies,9 q II sprac-
Fticablc, on f. the basis Of present prices.
The fall OF Port Arthur Is imminent.
pacific Intervention by the powers Will
probably follow, and the impulse thereby
given to the worlds industry and the
American and British export trade in
cotton goods particular 4 will prove the
most Important since the Resumption Ot
specie by the United States in
1879. Meantime. the condition Of the crop
is rapidly detcrlorating. In my opinion,
the condition8is no better thanSit was at
this time, last year, and allowing for the
reported increase In acreage, the indt-
Gated crop at present Is hardly otter II, OoQ,-
600 It is generally admitted that q mod
crate crop Will pass into consu ption on
the basis of II cents, q pound, and that
n short crop means a repetition OF last
years wild. speculate on. + ss st5s5$
The depredat Ions Of the boil Weeyil,
which infests q larger area, In Texas than
ever before, account in part for the rapid
the insuf1lciency OF labor s in the South for
the cultivation Of the. crop In the past
fourteen years i he S Increase I'M cotton
acreage, an reported by the government,
lis 60 per cent. The crop Of 1890 81 was
8 100000 bales. The crop of 1904 is
10. 900 900. The increase In production,
only about 16 per cent. There
is no possible prospect that the coming
crop will show an increase over tina d Of
1880 commensurate with the 4 increase y IN
acreage. The reason for this is not hard
ITO find, Whie the Increase In acreagc IN
the South for II 10 past fourteen years has
been SO per cent, the increase On the negro
population Of the South during the same
period has only been "a per cent, and
lin Texas Ok lallonla and Indian Territory
the increase IN acreage since 1890 is 124
per cent, while the increase In the negro
population Is only AZ per cent, Experience
has proved that under the hot Southern
suns the negro a lone can be used for no
cultivation of cotton, and the apid indus-
trial development of the South has dra Wn
heavily Upon the negro popnl ton Tor
labor In its mines, lumber camps and
railways 1t Is probably. true that against
an increase In colt on acreage ~ the Sonth
Of 60 per cent, IN fourteen years. he IN
crease In negro labor available for It's
sGult1VatlON mas not iDeell tONcFN4aa l1| WHY.
These facts, which are taken from the
United States Census, point individually
to only one conclusions he South has for
the past five years been planting Inore
cotton acreage than can ha cul tlvated
by the labor ayaila BILE. and tile rapld de
sterioration III Ats condition now bel ne res
ported, and which for the mast four years
has generally comm enc ed to deye lop about
this time. evidences this lack Of cultlya
ton. During the early months Of It's
ygrowtl, II needs hut little care. Withouti
care during its critical period It Is hound,
Ito deterlorate. III may as = we'll DO a C.
Rcepted, In my opinion, that the maximum
cotton productive capacity of tho South
was reached fiyet years ago. and cannot
be a gain attained unit the dlspronoftloni
between It's negro Il pnpula ton and lts
acreage shall have been e ad 1usted NO
such read justlnent seems possible within
tho present genera ton, y
spinners OF cotton and = consumers of
cotton goods Vi III 10 we'll tn onderr and to-
heed the signif laapce of these facts. B
ii shall appreciate It u my friends. in
rihe South Will continue 70 adyiNe me by
mall or telegraph as 10 the on tlools OF, the!
crop In thelr locality Ielegr ans not
'more than tan words IN length may ha
sent at my expense, 81
& EIEOpORE IA. PRICE