FARMERS' REGISTER 



655 



try arifi China- Usimlly India sends to China about 

 60 or 60,000.000 lbs; a portion ofliiis will no 

 douhl fro to Entrland, .'■•upcrndded to what would 

 otlierwise be sent there — perhaps 60,000,000 Ibf?. 



If then we take the ajfgregate im [tori ai ion ol 

 American and East India cottons into Gr(>nt Bri- 

 tain lor eix years, they will amonnl to 2,064,500,- 

 000 lbs. of the (ormer, arrainst 320,500.000 of the 

 lalter. The average (or ei.K years of the East 

 India will be 15^ per cent, on the Annerican. A 

 quantity not more than equal to the consumption 

 of the faclories in JMassachusells, Rhode Island 

 and Maine. 



The question as to which country can produce 

 this staple at the lowest price, is a very important 

 one to these states. Thus far (he facts and the 

 inferences whicii may he reasonably drawn from 

 them, are in our favor, as will be apparent by the 

 Ibllowiiirr slalemenle. 



The largest importaiion of India cotton into 

 England took place in 1818, under the stimulus of 

 extren)e prices which ranged through the years 

 oi' 1817 and 1S18 in the Liverpool market, 8d. to 

 IGd. per pound equal to 16 and 32 cents per lb. for 

 Sural and Bengal ; and fcr American Uplands 16<^ 

 to 22(1. equal to 32 and 44 cen!s per lb. 



The imports from India to Great Britain in 1817 

 amounted to 117,252 bales — increased in 1819 to 

 242,090 bales, ol 300 lbs. each, equal to 72,637,000 

 lbs. — against an importaiion in Great Britain from 

 the United Slates of 216,500 bales of 240 lbs. as 

 rated in England. Thus it would appear that in 

 1818 the quanlity of East India cotton imported 

 in'o England was 72,627,000 lbs., against 51,965,- 

 000 from the United States. The whole imports of 

 cotton in Great Britain in 1818 amounted to 173,- 

 940,000 lbs., of which were consumed 111,800,000 

 lbs. — a quanlity, probably, somewhat above ihe 

 exislinff consumption of the United States, while 

 that of Great Britain extended to 401,975,121, tiie 

 average of 1838 and 1839, and it may somewhat 

 exceed these figures the current year. 



When prices of this staple fell, as they did in a 

 great ralio after 1818, the imports from India 

 rapidly declined, and one year below 20,000 bales, 

 while the imporis from the United States, though 

 equally reduced in value, continued to incroape. In 

 1818 iheimports of East Indiacotton to Great Bri- 

 tain were 40 per cent, larger than from the United 

 Slates. This year the probable quantity of East 

 India imported in Great Britain will be about one 

 eighth of the quantity imported from the United 

 Slates. On the India importations there will be a 

 loss at the existing prices of at least 30 or 40 per 

 cent, to the importers though shipped at as low or 

 lower prices than have usually been paid for it, 

 while the shipments from this countrj'', it is said by 

 those who are concerned in them, will afford a 

 saving remittance. 



These facts vvill, we think, support the inference 

 to which I referred — namely, that we can under- 

 sell the East Indiacotton grower in Ihe English 

 market; for while their shipments to England 

 have declined, ours have increased in the period of 

 21 years from 52 millions to 465,000,000 lbs. We 

 have, too, gained in about an equal ratio upon the 

 Brazils, Egypt and West Indies, our other com- 

 petitors in the production of this staple. In Egypt 

 and the Brazils the crops have decreased the last 

 20 years while our crops have increased from 

 138,900,000 — the out-turn of the two seasons of 



1820 and 1821— to upwards of 900,000,000 lbs. the 

 product of Ihe season now drawinir to a close. 



But it may be said that the existing low prices 

 are not remunerative to the planter, and conse- 

 quently the crops will be curtailed. Tliis was the 

 trround taken in the Cotton Circular that appeared 

 some twelve months since, under the signatures of 

 Mr. McDuffie, Mr. Bratich, and other cotton 

 planters. They even complained of insufficient 

 prices and of combinations among merchants and 

 manufacturers to keep Ihem down when the crop 

 had been nearly sold at 12 to 16 cents per lb. The 

 crop of this season has not, we suppose, averaged 

 over 8 cents per lb., and yet Ihe culiivation has not 

 been lessened; nor can any inlelligenl person 

 familiar wiih the condition of the cotton states, 

 point out a more profitable employment for lands, 

 labor and capilal, than the production of cotton at 

 8 cents per lb. So far from there having been any 

 reduction of planting, the common opinion is, that 

 a season as favorable as was the la.=t, will yield 

 some 100 or 200,000 bales beyond the crop of 

 1839-1840, amounting to about 2, 140 or 2,150 000 

 bales. It is not, however, to be expected that 

 the season of growth and for securing the crop 

 vvill be so extremely favorable as the last, and the 

 most general anticipation at this early day is, that 

 the coming crop will liili short of the last by 2 or 

 300,000 bales, and if such be the case, taking into 

 view the increased consumption and somewhat 

 decreased stock in Europe — it is thought by many 

 experienced merchants and planters, that the 

 prices of this commodity will range somewhat 

 higher in 1841, than they now are or have been 

 during the current year, provided the peace of (he 

 world, and the operations of the manufacturer and 

 merchant shall not be discouraged nor disturbed 

 by wars or the apprehensions of wars. Such a 

 state of things would greatly reduce the consump- 

 lion of cotton and all other staples of which we 

 have an exportable surplus. 



On the whole, though there may be some cause 

 for anxiety as to the interference of India with 

 American cotton, yet we are strongly inclined to 

 a contrary opinion, grounded on some considerable 

 experience as to the resulis of the experiments in 

 India. 



It is an interesting subject to the whole country, 

 and especially to our southern friends, whose free 

 trade principles would not allow them to throw 

 any impediments in the way of the northern ma- 

 nufacturers, should they turn away from their 

 staple to that of India. At present they regard 

 us as unimportant customers — and so we are in 

 comparison with the whole of Europe ; but they 

 should bear in mind that New England alone now 

 consumes more than half as much cotton as the 

 whole consumption of England, Scotland and Ire- 

 land, 20 years ago : and that, according to the 

 ratio at which consumption has proceeded the 

 last 10 or 12 years, it will be doubled in the course 

 of that period. — The consumption of the whole 

 country may now be 275,000 bales, and in 1852 it 

 will fufly reach 500,000. This is predicted chiefly 

 on our home consumption, as we only export aboui 

 3 to 4,000,000 of manufactured goods. 



If, however, the currency can be kept in a 

 sound stale, and commerce and manufacturing 

 remain undisturbed by an inflated currenc}' — ne- 

 cessarily tending to over importations and com- 

 mercial revulsions — we shall be able to manufac- 



