The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-09-10
Value OF COTTON CROP.
Quantity Less but Despite This, Hes
ter Points Out, South Has Received
Much More Money for it.


Hesters annual report on the cotton
crop puts the crop OF 1878 at A.
1918 bales. decrease under that
Of isl1-12 Of 1.s7l.S11 bales, and an
increase over 1s10-11 Of 2,047,020.
He says that the crop of Texas
bss.oOo bales over last year, is the
largest ever grown in that state, but
that the Texas increase has been more
than Offset by falling off in other
sections. the group Of "other gulf
states" embracing Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi. Arkansas. Tennessee. Okla
homa. Missouri. Arizona. California,
Kansas and New Mexico, having fallen
on tss.ooo bales, and the group Of
Atlantic States. including Alabama,
North Carolina, South Carolina. Geor-
gia. Florida, Kentucky and Virginia.
showing q decrease of 100000 bales.
The weight Of the crop. Mr.. Hester
says. was AT pounds a bale heavier,
the increased weight being equivalent
to an additional $4,000 bales Of last
years growth. Nearly all of the crop,
ne says, has been used and the mills
have had to make inroads on the vis-
ible and invisible supply left over from
last season to the extent of 726,O0
bales.
In grade the crop has been better.
averaging mlddling to strict mid
ding. compared with an average for
last year of strict low middling %
middiing.
Hester puts the average price a
pound for middling for the year at
1f4o cents. compared with 10.16 last
year. 14.si the year before, and 1887
In fsos-1o. He puts the average
commercial value bale at s63.5s,
against t5i.45 last year, and 375.6s
the year before.
The value OF the crop, including
seed. Is put at ssss. s.425. .O5s. against
ess7.2s0,T64. and attention is called
to the fact that for a crop embracing
i.s71.3l1 bales less cotton and S93.-
900 tons less seed. the South rece ived
more than ss1.00O,000 more money.
Approximately the actual growth
was 1903. 900 bales, or $4,000 bales
less than the commercial crop.
The report Of the crop by States
follows In thousands of bales: Ala
bama. 1890. against 1.7ss last year;
Arkansas $40. against 941 last year;
Florida 81, against 96 last year; Geor-
gia 1870. against 2,s7s last year,
Louisiana $50. against 403 last year;
Oklahoma 1,051. against 1,036 last
year: Mississippi 1,042. against 1921
last year; North Carolina 974, against
LIZA last year: South Carolina 1881,
against 1,732 last year; Tennessee 375.
against 573 last year; Texas 1852,
against +,s27 last year; total crop,
1t.ls7, against 1913 last year.
Secretary Hester says: American
mills have had another year of activ-
ity both North and South; the num-
Der OF bales having been greater than
ever before. and aside from mention
In some instances OF necessity for more
labor there has been singular alb
sence OF complaints Of any kind. In
the South. which has been the most
active. mill replies as a rule have
contained the stereotyped statement
OF full time"
An increase of $4,000 spindlea ig
shown I'm Southern mills in operation,
and seven mills In course OF construc-
ton. with liberal additions of spindles
TO old concerns. embrace a total Of
exceeding 100000 additional spindle .cs,
most of which may come into play In
ths near future.
Last season. he says, the mills as
n whole did not reach their maximum
consumption until the last half OF the
year. This year while the aggregates
have varied. there has been no let up
from month to month and early in
dications OF record consumption were
sustained as the season progressed.
The number OF spindles In the
South Is put at 12.819,333 including
old. idle and not completed, against
12.3is.35e last year.
The consumption Of American cot
fon by Northern and Western mills
is put at 2.617.O0O against 2.sS1, 900
last year.