The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1905-04-26
VALUE OF THE COTTON crop.

Ire annual cotton clOp Of the
South ls the mpst valuable OF any
agricultural product grow n on the
face IF tue globe. It's annual sales
amount in. the aggregate for the
raw material Of more than Elk hun
dred millions OF dollars, and, when
converted lnto the finished fabric
will sell for the enormous total Of
nearly two bilious OF dollars. 1t Is
due only to the cotton crop OF the
South that the balance Of trade ls
in favor Of the United States in its
commercial relations with foreign
Countries. In 1901 the exports OF
raw cotton amounted TO more than
one million dollars for each Of the
365 days. And this three hundred
aud sixty-five millions of dollars,
which wGs sent to this Country i'll
gold by the foreign spinner, paid
for only sixty"iive per cent Of the
crop produce Il, leaving tho balance,
or thirty five per cent, to be woven
into cloth uuder tho roofs of Ameri-
cali mile.
COTTON MILLS IN THE SOUTH.
The 81 ormous Increase in tho
value IF tho staple after it has
passed through the loom, presents
the highest evidence OF the neces-
sity for the more rapid building O.
cotton mills in tho South, and the
exporting Of the finished product
from our shores rather than that Of
tho raw material. The export pt
our raw c,t,,n annually brings
more gold into this country than
tho combined exports of all other
agricultural p:o Iucts and ngricul-
tursl i!nplcmcn;s shtppod from
America TO foreign countries A
crop of such magnitude III value,
and one upon VIII ch tho entire clvi,
lizcd world so absolutely depends,
should receive tn, Immediate pro
lection of every business interest
in tho couutrles. A crop Of such
in value, and one upon
which the entile civilized world so
absolutely depends, should receive
the Immediate protection of every
business interest in this country
No cotton grown in foreign coun-
tries up to the present 5SibS3gGS GSsti b.
.Asssi as aI ports at a l'ess
s 1s:ss'ssfnan 14c per pound. IL is
generally admitted by experts who
have Investigated the efforts made
to produce ,tton in foreign coun-
tries, that up to the present time,
such efforts have been failure,
and it is extrnm-ly doubtful if
there will ever come a time when
foreign grown cotton can ever be
produced protitably i'll competition
with American grown cotton.
OUR AsIATIC TRADE.
1t is con!i.'ensly believed that
the Panama Canal will bs opened
to the commerce Of the high seas
within the next ten years, after
which time, the South viii be IN a
position 10 secure direct and quick
trade relations with the Asintic
nations of the Far East. In China
alone, more than four hundred and
fifty millions of people are reudy
and willing to Wear cloth made
from American cotton. In Japan
more than forty five millions Of
people are equally willing To be
clothed from American grown cot
ton. With tho introduction OF our
trade relatiOns with three hundreds
of millions of people, II crop of fif-
ty million bales Of cotton can be
consumed with the same casa as Is
now done with u crop OF ten mil
lions, among the civilized nations
of Europe and America.
With these splendid possibilities
lying just ahead, only waiting for
proper development, the time has
come when the South must no
longer look to the mere matter OF
production, but TO the development
of our agricultural resources, we
must begin 10 reach ont for wider
markets in order to meet the rapid
ly developing agricultural c'udi-
tions Of the South.
INFORMATION AND co OPERATI''N.