138 
UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION OF AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. 
Under the auspices of the Belgian government, the Agricultural Society of 
Brabant proposes to hold a universal exhibition of agricultural implements and 
domestic animals, at Brussels, commencing June 20, 1868. Prizes and awards 
for competition, which is free to exhibitors of all nations. The society guaran- 
tees the cost of transportation on all Belgian railways of all contributions from 
foreign countries. Exhibitors are requested to make application in April, to the 
secretary of the society, at No. 36 Rue Verte, Brussels. Implements should be 
directed: The Commission Durectrice del Exposition d’ Agriculture, Champs 
des Manevres, at Brussels. They will be received from June 12 to 16. For 
further information address the secretary of the society. we 
THE COTTON SUPPLY. 
The extraordinary efforts made in Europe to make good the United States 
deficiency by stimulating production in Egypt, Brazil, China and India, were to 
such.an extent successful that the south seemed likely to be ruled out of the 
list of cotton-yielding localities. This result, as soon appeared, was due to 
abnormal conditions, which began to pass away with the war which gave rise 
to them. With the stimulus of from 40 to 50 cents per pound in 1865, unusual 
activity in the southern States was directed to cotton culture in 1866, notwith- 
standing loss of slave labor, poverty of planters, neglected state of farms, and a 
general feeling of discouragement. The result was 1,900,000 bales. In the 
spring of 1867, with a reduction in price amounting to about fifty per cent., it 
was still determined to persevere, and farms being in better condition, and acces- 
sions of capital from the north having been enjoyed, the acreage of 1867 was 
somewhat larger, and the season being better, a still better result was attained, 
which bids fair to exceed the estimate of this department, and reach beyond 
2,500,000 bales, more than half the result of the best cotton crop ever known. 
Witha continuous fall in price, and the 24 cents tax, it entailed positive loss in most 
cases, and left a cloud of gloom upon the whole cotton section. Under these 
circumstances the feeling has been prevalent, and almost universal, that cotton 
planting in the United States must for a time be abandoned as a general crop. 
This view was too hastily adopted, with little consideration of the facts in the 
ease. Already receding prices were telling upon the supply from India and 
other foreign sources, while the products of American cotton was rapidly increas- 
ing. In 1866, to be sure, the British imports of India cotton exceeded her 
importation from this country, but now, for the first time since the beginning of 
the war, supremacy is again attained, if not the same measure of superiority, 
the old place at least, as the greatest cotton-exporting country in the world. The 
official account of British imports for 1867 shows this, and it is a fact of which 
this country should be proud, but still more proud if an equal quantity could 
be manufactured here. The following figures will show how the tables have 
been turned upon India in a single year, and how Great Britain has increased 
