Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-11
LAST YEARS CROP.
Biggest Crop on Record; But Sti
Short of Consumption,

Biggest Crop on Record; But Still
Short of Consumption.
Promptly at the close Of the COM
mercial year Col H. G. Hester Of the
local cotton exchange, made public
marketed during the season Of 1906
CO. He places the total at 11,345,9S8
bales, which is a round million. more
than was expected at the period of
the season when Ii was fashionable
for the government and various pri-
vate authorities to put forth esti-
mates. :
The fact must always be kept in
mind that the commercial crop Is an
entirely different proposition from
the amount of cotton produced In
crop is accepted as the standard be-
cause ii Is possible to ascertain ac-
curately the amount marketed In any
given season, whereas the actual pro-
duction does not always come into
sight within the period embraced In
the year in which 1t is produced.
Thus, for instance, while the actual
production OF 1904 was near 14,OOO,-
600 bales, a very considerable amount
of cotton was held over and did not
come into sight during the season
l9O4-O5. This surplus for the 1904
crop was marketed during the past
season, and therefore goes to swell
the commercial crop OF the season
lust closed. While the commercial
crop of the season 1904-05 was there
fore smaller than the actual produc-
ton, the commercial crop Of the past
season OF 1905-06 was greater than
the production by several hundred
thousand bales.
DESPITE this discrepancy between
the commercial and the actual crop
the commercial crops for a series of
years do not differ from the aggre-
gate amount produced during those
years, so that from purely statisti-
cal viewpoint the commercial crop
Is the only safe basis OF calculation,
and estimates to be worth anything
at all should be based on the COM
mercial crop and not upon the pro-
duction.
Despite the impression that pre-
vailed at one time that the crop or
the past season would be a short one,
II has actually turned to be the larg-
est commercial crop on record but
one, being exceeded only by the crop
of the preceding season. Large as
the crop was however, II fell far
short OF the consumption, 1t being
now we'll established that the worlds
consumption of American cotton
slightly exceeds $4,000, 900 bales, or
nearly three-quarters of million
greater than the commercial crop,
and more than million bales In ex-
cess of the actual production.
When one remembers the hign
prices at which the last crop was
sold, the average being in excess of
ten cents a pound, the enormous ad-
vance in the worlds consumption of
American cotton will become appar-
ent II the world needed more than
twelve million bales Of cotton at ten
cents, what will 1t not use at lower
price? It Is evident, therefore, that
the cotton industry is in the enviable
position where the consumption has
outstripped the production, leaving o
reasonable margin for the expansion
of the American cotton production,
which even a large crop for the year
Just commencing cannot reasonably
be expected TO overcome. Not only
must the crop Of the present year
meet all the worlds requirements,
but il must provide for the restora-
ton of reserve stocks, now reduced
to practically nothing, to safe and
reasonable proportions.
with such conditions confronting
the trade a crop even as large as
l3, 600, 900 bales need occasion no un-
easiness on the score OF the future
course of prices. There should be no
difficulty at all In marketing 12,Oe0,-
600 bales at paying prices. unless
the farmers seek to market their en-
tire crop in a few months by forcing
It on the market at whatever prices
spinners can be induced to give for
IL. Spinners are not philanthropists
and cannot be expected to pay any
,ooro for raw cotton than they can
help. II they find cotton forced on
them they will naturally seek TO buy
II at a very low figure. but II they
have to go after 1t they will pay as
much as the prices realized Tor the
manufactured product will warrant
them in paying. The good prices re-
allied for cloths last season and the
good dividends paid by the mills
prove that cotton, even above ten
cents per pound on the average, was
not a dear article.-New Orleans