The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-09-09
Cotton Crop for Year 19O4-O5
Was 13,255,885 Bales
HAS BEEN REMARKABLE YEAR
Total Value of the Crop Was $62s, 1885,
$50, Against set7 ,5o1, SAB for the
Previous Year-Average
Price, s.es.

| New Orleans, September S.-Secretary
| Hester's annual report was issued in full
| today. He puts the cotton crop for 1904-5
at 13,565,Ss5 bales, an increase of 3,554,-
| 511 over that of 10000.
| He says that compared with last year,
| in round figures, Texas, including Indian
| Territory, has increased 70800O bales. The
| group known as other gulf states, con-
| ssting of Louisiana. Arkansas, Missis-
| sppi, Tennessee. Missouri, Oklahoma,
| Utah and Kansas, has increased 1,1O6,OO0,
| and the group of Atlantic states, Ala
] bama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina,
| South Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia,
| have gained LII 900.
| He puts the average commercial value
| of this crop at s46.31 per bale against
| s6l.6S last year, and the total vaiue for
the crop at s62s, 195, 1853 against se17 50l, ,54s
last year and $3.50. .775, ,2S2 the year before.
Referring to values, he gives details
of prices showing that taking the cotton
| belt as a whole, the highest figure for
| middling was II 3-16 cents per pound at
| the opening of the season In September
| and the lowest 619 cents on the 29th of
7 December, but says that the crop as
| whole averaged strict middling, and that
the average value per pound was 9S-1O0
cents, compared with ~ 15-100 cents last
| year.
In reference to weight he puts the aver
| age per bale at SIS $500 pounds, showing
a gain over last year Of S9-100 pounds.
| This crop, he says, is the heaviest in
weight per bale of any recorded, the high
est previous weight having been 513.96 in
1S9s-99, the year of the largest previous
year reported crop.
Year Has Been Remarkable.
| Mr.. Hester remarks that while each and
every crop grown has had its distinctive
features, the story of none is fraught
| with circumstances SO peculiar and in
teresting as the one just marketed. The
commercial years of 1928 and of 1885,
80 witnesses the high-water mark of cot
| ton culture in the United States up to
| that period. and with them came an era
/ of depression during part of which the
| products of the cotton field literally sold
| for a song" In 1398-99 the commercial
| crop of 11,274,840 bales brought barely
1888 900. The world was able to absorb
| only certain quantity Of the staple. and
| beyond that 1t was necessary to submit to
| ruinous prices to induce middemen to
| carry the surplus. With values below
| the cost of production the farmers then
| were In no condition to protect them
! selves, and though they were forced to
| accept less for their crop than they had
actually expended to produce them, abb
| soute and immediate necessity controlled
| the situation.
| The panic that spread throughout the
south on the eve of marketing the crop
of 1S98-'99 Is one more that Will never
! be forgotten. The cry Of five cent cot
| ton" had extended to the remote districts,
until even the Ignorant negro field hands
| interested on shares, Joined In the rush
| to market and sell cotton before the ex
| pected crash should come. How condi-
| tions were righted through the logic OF
events, and crop of less than nine and
! one-half millions of bales in 1s99-1900
/ brought over 900 more, and another
crop the year succeeding of less than ten
/, and one half mlllias brought more than
| $500, 900, 900 more than their eleven and a
| quarter million predecessors, are matters
of history.
Faced Impossible Situation.
| With this lesson before them. he says
/ 1t is not to be wondered at that when
\ in December last the agricultural depart
more than twelve and a quarter millions
of bales, that feeling akin to panic
was felt In every section OF the cotton
| growing states. 1t was expected we
should have an eleven million or eleven
and a half million crop, but that twelve
J million should not only be reached but