3 66 



THE FORAGE AND FIBER CROPS IN AMERICA 



COTTON 

 coramercio 



mt/licns 



as in the increased yield per acre and the increased price per 

 pound, resulting in the total value of the crop in four recent 

 years being nearly twice that of the corresponding years ten 

 years earlier, while the value per acre increased over 50 per 

 cent. The figures here given do not show by any means the 

 value of the cotton plant to the United States, since it forms the 

 basis of a great manufacturing industry employing vast capital 

 and many people. 



465. Center of Cotton Production. During the last half of 

 the last century the center of cotton production has moved al- 

 most due westward 

 about 200 miles. In 

 1850 the center of 



POPULATION production was 28 

 mi/no-. miles southwest of 

 Birmingham, Ala- 

 bama, while fifty 

 years later it was 34 

 miles north by west 



Diagram showing the increase in the production of cotton 



in the United States compared to population of Jackson, Missis- 



sippi (90 18' 12" 



W. Long, and 32 57' 39" N. Lat.). During this period maize 

 moved westward 480 miles, so that at the present time the 

 centers of production are on nearly the same meridian, although 

 that of cotton is about 440 miles farther south. 



466. Production per Population. There were produced in 

 1899 about 59 pounds of lint cotton per inhabitant. In 1859 

 there were produced 78 pounds of lint cotton per inhabitant. 

 This appears to be the highest production of cotton, in propor- 

 tion to population, in the history of the country. Owing to the 

 unsettled condition of the southern states during the decade 

 which followed, the production of cotton fell enormously. Since 



