The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-09-13
HEsTER.s COTTON REPORT.
The Yield for 1904-5 Given as 1865
$50 Bales, an Increase OF 3,oo4.-
511 Over That Of 1903-4.

New Orleans, La, September s.
Secretary Hester's report was issued
in full today. He puts the cotton crop
for 19O4-5 at 13,565,SS5 bales, an in
crease of 3,554,511 over that of
1904
He says that compared with last
wear, in round figures, Texas, includ-
ing Indian Territory, has increased
| 70S, 900 bales. The group known as
other Gulf States, consisting Of Louis
lana. Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennes-
see. Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah ano
Kansas has increased 100000 and
the group of Atlantic States, Alabama
Georgia, Florida, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Kentucky and Virgin
ia, has gained 1,741,OOO.
He puts the average commercial
value of this crop at s46.S1 per bale,
against s616S last year and the total
value of the crop at s62S,195,359,
against ss17,5O1,54S last year and
$3.50, 770,282 the year before.
Referring to values he gives de-
tails of prices, showing that taking
the cotton belt as a whole, the high
est figure for middlng was IL 3-16
cents per pound at the opening Of the
season in September and the lowest
6 1-2 cents on the goth Of December,
but says that the crop as whole av-
eraged strict middling, and that the
average value per pound was 9S-1OO
cents compared with II 15-10O last
year.
In reference to weight he puts the
average per bale at 515 $500
pounds, showing a gain over last year
| of I S9-1OO. This crop, he says, is the
heaviest in weight per bale of any re-
corded, the best previous weight hav-
ing been 513.s6 in 1S9S-s9, the year
of the largest previously reported
crop.
Mr.. Hester remarks that while each
and every crop has had its distinctive
features, the story of none is fraught
| with circumstances more peculiar and
interesting than the one just market
ed. It is not to be wondered that when
| in last December the agricultural de-
partment put forth an estimate point.
| ing to more than twelve and a quar-
| ter million bales, a feeling akin to
| panic was felt in every section Of the
| cotton growing States.
I Mr.. Hester recites the manner in
which this monster crop has been
handled; but it has practically all
| been marketed, avoiding a crash
which seemed at first inevitable and
| will remain lasting monument to the
| conservatism and cooperative power
of the Southern people. In this great
economic struggle all, elements joined
in the victory.
Mr.. Hester makes the actual
growth for the season 13,S00,000, and
says that the recent report Of the
census bureau Of cotton ginned does
not cover the entire growth; that all
of the years growth has not been gin
ned, full returns therefore have not
been made. Mr.. Hester pays high
tribute to the census bureau methods,
saying that it affords mass of inval-
liable information to the cotton world
superior to any that has ever been
put forth, and that he is quite certain
from his own private investigation
and consultation with Director North
that in another season the bureau will
| be able to give almost an exact show
ing of the actual growth.
He puts the spindles in the south at
9,2o5,949 against S,615,369 last year.
The net gain in the number of South
ern mills over last year has been Is,
making the total now III. Of these
709 have been in operation during the
year, 3S are idle and so are in course
of erection, Is old and out of date
concerns which ceased business, hav-
ing been crossed off the list.
In reference to the general cotton
manufacturing industry in the United
States, Mr.. Hester says that Ameri-
can mills, north and south, have had
the most active season on record, but
while the totals show an excess in the
number of bales of American cotton
consumed by domestic factories Of
495,O00 over last season, bringing the
aggregate to an amount never before
reached. it is at least 350,OO0 bales
less than it would have been with ia
vorable labor conditions In the
south the growth of spindles contin-
ues on large scale, those in active