The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-06-29
COTTON FACTS
FOR THIS STATE
COMMISSIONER WATSON IS
SUES STATEMENT.
Acreage for Past Year Largest in His
tory of State-What the Mills
Consume.
The State.

was l,242,012 running bales, includ,
ing Gnters and sea island or, proper
ly, exclusive Of linters 1,2l5,848 bales
comprising 8.8 per cent. Of the cot
$on ginned in the United States. The
production exceeded that in 1907 by
52,991 bales. South Carolina has
now fallen to fifth place, her fourth
place attained in 1907 being taken by
Alabama. It is estimated by Mr.
Watson that there are $3.50 bales
still unginned. The average weight
per bale was 493 pounds against 49, 2
pounds in 1907. Sea island bales
weighed on the average 35l.8 pounds
and Inter 4706 pounds.
The South Carolina sea island sold
in 1908 at an average price Of 23.39
cents per pound, while that grown
in Georgia and Florida averaged 1892
cents. In 1906 South Carolina's aver
age price was 1910 cents, and in 1907
35.5 cents, these being the best prices
since 1901. This year it was lower
than in 1902 or in any year in the
seven year period. The South Caro-
lima crop was ginned in 3,481 ginner-
les, about the average number.
The Aggregate Value.
The aggregate value Of the South
Carolina crop was S6l, 1854, ,522 against
$72,657, ,917 in 1907, and 1885, II
1906. The 1908 crop was the most
valuable in money the State has ever
had save the two crops of 1907 and
1905.
According to Mr.. Watson, Of actual
cotton linters the total value for 1908
was s52, 9,4SO, representing $685.
762,49l pounds of upland worth $5l,-
l67, ,654, 1886: 100 pounds Of sea is
l. ID, worth $1,161, 1926.
Of cottonseed there were 521,659
pounds, worth s9,635,O42, the largest
value since 1901 with the exception of
the 1897 crop.
The acreage was the largest in the
bistery of the State-2,545,000, the
next largest being 2,53l,875 in 1904.
Since 1894 more than 100000 acres
have been regularly planted in cot
ten
Anderson, With 63,183 bales, con-
Sinues to be the chief producing coun-
ty, having assumed the" lead when
Calhoun was cut from Orangeburg,
:Spartanburg, Marlboro, York, Marion,
and Greenville, Darlington and Sum
ter are the other chief producers.
Stocks on Hand.
The stocks on hand in South Caro-
lima on March l amounted to 427,-
763 bales, of which 220,429 were in
the hands of the manufacturers and
126,258 in independent warehouses,
including compresses. The rest was
in the hands Of transportation COM
panies.
The mills of the State are consum-
ing 793,396 bales Of cotton annually,
turning out product worth about ST.
100000.
The yield per acre in 1908 in the
State was 219 pounds, versus a TO-
year average Of 189.
It is estimated that the acreage
planted this year (19O9) is 2,498,Oo0
against 2,545,0O0 in 1908, but the real
acreage is probably about the same
as last year.
Cotton on March I, 1909, was bring
ing on the average in South Carolina
.9.2 cents while at the same date the
preceding year it was bringing the
average price Of II cents.
Making the Estimate.
Mr.. Watson in making the estimate
has issued the following statement:
SIN making the 1908 estimate for
the Association Of Southern Commls-
sioners of Agriculture as early as
Nov. "a I used the figures furnished
by each Southern commissioner, while
mentioning the fact: that if conditions
after that date remained the same as
to the picking and ginning as the av-
erage for the preceding four seasons
we ought to have crop Of at least
13,3s4.l57 bales. Assuming that the
conditions gave every estimate on the
date named at 12,551,086 runclng
bales, exclusive of linters, or .nelao, 40
irc T.: .ers. at practically l3,oo9'Voo
bale. to be exact 1882 III Bales
7E9e cetual crop exclusive Of 6nters
with everything accounted for was
13,o86,Oo5 bales, under which our
November estimate fell 534,9l9 bales.
This difference is almost exactly ac-
counted for by the underestimate