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THE FUTURE OF AMEEICAN COTTON AND WOOL. 



It is tlie duty of this Department to examine the circumstances connected 

 with the future condition of a crop, and \ay these, with the opinions of the 

 Commissioner, before the farming community, that it may determine its action 

 in reference to the crop. This duty imposes great responsibility on the De- 

 partment, but it is a dufi/, and, therefore, is to be discharged. 



There is no agricuhural question that has deeper interest than the one embraced 

 in the heading of this article. The past idea was that American cotton could 

 encounter no rivalry, and hence it was regarded as a king, with power to con- 

 trol the industry of the world, and to centre in the land of its growth the riches 

 of that industry. To secure this imaginatory wealth to the producer of our 

 cotton, to the merchant engaged in its commerce, aud to the politician who gave 

 direction to the civil and political institutions resting on its production, became 

 the Utopian dream Avhich awoke the rebellion. 



Among those most devoted to these views was De Bow, of the Southern 

 Commercial Review, who gave to^southeru politicians the statistical matter on 

 which they rested the policy of the rebellion. Upon the supposition that cotton 

 could not be grown elsewhere, the power to coerce aid to the cause of their 

 independence from European powers largely engaged in the manufacture of 

 cotton was assumed, and upon this aid was predicated the success of the 

 rebellion, 



But the fact proved to be otherwise. The world soon found substitutes for 

 American cotton, and with this truth before him Mr. De Bow saw the mistake 

 of the rebellion. He therefore advised a return to that Union under which 

 the south had grown so great and prosperous, and for this wise counsel the 

 despotism of the rebellion has consigned him to a prison. 



With the certainty of the overthrow of the rebellion, (we hope and believe 

 during the coming summer,) the duty of this Department is to look forward, 

 and determine the peace condition of our chief agricultural staples. At this 

 time our remarks will be confined to the cotton and wool products ; and the 

 first matter to consider is — 



The r.onditio7is of the growth of foreign cotton. 



Before the rebellion, Great Britain had made every effort to grow cotton in 

 its East India possessions. The following table shows with what success, and 

 also the rapid production of it in India and other places since the rebellion. 

 The first column exhibits the number of pounds imported by Great Britain ; the 

 others, the amount received from the United States, India, Egypt, Brazil and 

 other countries, chiefly from China. 



hn'ports of cotton into Great Britain. 



The year 1863 is partly estimated ; that of 1864 altogether so, but it is a medium estimate of several 

 regarded as entitled to confidence. 



This is a remarkable table. In 1860, we see that Great Britain imported 

 1,390,938,752 pounds, of which all was from the United States but 126,701,970 

 pounds. This was the result, after the effort of years, to grow cotton in India 



