Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-06-10
PRODUCED 13.587,3O6 BALES

Increase Over Previous Year of 1914
Fer Cent-Crop Remarkable For
Its Excellent Spinning Qualities
and Cleanliness.-Most Valuable
Ever Grown.
Washington, Special-Bulletin 100.
which has just been issued by the Bu-
reau Of the Census, consists of a re-
port on the production of cotton in
1908, prepared under the supervision
Of Mr.. Willim M. Stuart, chief sta
tistician for manufactures, by Daniel
Z. Roper, expert chief of division.
The present report gives the ag-
gregate figures for the whole cotton
crop.
The finally revised figures for the
crop Of 1908, expressed in equivalent
5OO-pound bales and including lint
ers, show a total production Of 49,
5o7 ,306 bales. This represents an in-
crease over 1907 of 2,211 ,s45 bales, or
1874 per cent. It is the third largest
crop ever produced, being exceeded
only by the crops Of 1904 and 1906,
and is 978,751 bales larger than the
average crop Of the last five years.
The production reported for Texas
3,913,0S4 bales, is the second largest;
recorded, being exceeded only by that
Of 1906, which was 36S,74O bales
larger. This State showed a falling
off in 1907 Of 40 per cent as COM
pared with 1905, but increased its
crop in 1908 by 65.S per cent over
1901. Texas produced 28.S per cent
Of the total for the country in 1908;
2O9 per cent , ln 1907 N and 81 57er
The corp III 19gs4i remakable for
its excellent spinning qualities and
cleanliness. The grade Of this crop
is estimated to have averaged strict
mlddling, compared with midding
for 1907 and strict low middling for
1906. Measured by its yarn produc-
ing qualities, the crop of 1908 is be-
ieved to be the most valuable ever
grown. The value Of the crop to the
growers is estimated at 1851, ,230,956,
of which $59S,S14,S2S represents the
value Of the lint and $92, 2,416,128 the
value Of the seed. Notwithstanding
the fact that, the crop was a2,211 ,S45
bales larger than the crop Of 1907
and that the spinning qualities of this
crop were superior, it has been dis
posed Of by the growers at approx
mately $2O,O00,000 less than that Of
1907.
The estimated quantity Of cotton,
seed produced in 1908 is 5,9O3,S3S
tons, Of which 3,669,747 tons were
treated by the oil mills, affording pro-
duets valued at $S6,O92.5S3, and dis
tributed as to kind and quantity as
follows: Oil, 146, ,7S9,SSO gallons;
cake and meal, 1,491, 1852 tons; hulls,
l,330,2S3 tons, and inters, $685.
629 pounds.
The worlds production of cotton
for mill consumption in 1908 is esti-
mated at 19,574,O0O bales of 500
pounds net, compared with 16,512,-
900 in 1907. The production in the
United States, expressed in net
weight bales, was 1902, 1000, and rep
resents 66 per cent Of the total COM
mercial cotton produced British In
dia, which ranks second, produced
2,914,O00 bales, or Is per cent;
Egypt, 1,275,0OO bales, or per cent,
and Russia, $4,000 bales, or 4 per
cent. Most Of the remainder is pro-
duced III China and Brazil. while
smaller quantities are contributed bv
Mexico, Peru, Turkey, Persia and
several other countries
Not less than 100000 persons are
employed in producing, handling and
manufacturing American cotton, Of
whom some 100000 are farmers and
farm laborers, 100000 otherwise en-
gagged with the fibre in this country
and about 100000 are concerned
with it in foreign countries. The
value Of the goods manufactured
from the average American cotton
crop is estimated at $2,0OO,OO0, 1000.
Of the total quantity of the six
leading textile fibres produced in
1908, 1S,042, ,425,000 pounds, cotton
constituted "a per cent, wool 14.5 per
cent, jute IA per cent, fax 10 per
cent, hemp Z per cent and silk less
than one-half Of 1 per cent. The
relative importance of these fbres
has been reversed during the past
century. Flax fibre, which was used
to larger extent than any other in
1900, now ranks fourth, and the
quantity produced is only about three
times what is was then. During this
period the production of wool has in-
creased about four-fold. and of cot
ton over thirty-fold.