COTTON MANUFACTURES. 87 



the French are cultivating it much more extensively than formerly. In 

 Egypt, too, it is slowly increasing, and in India, as we have seen, the 

 increase is rapid. It is certain, however, that no country can raise 

 better cotton than that produced in the United States. 



In India great attention is now paid to the cultivation of cotton, 

 especially in the British possessions. Within a few years, several ex- 

 perienced cultivators in the U. S. have been engaged by the British 

 authorities, who, with cotton gins and seeds procured in this country, 

 are now employed in India for the purpose of raising and cleaning 

 cotton. The success of the enterprise, though reported to have par- 

 tially failed, is apparent in the rapidly increasing quantities raised 

 and exported. The crop of 1841 exceeded that of the previous year by 

 38,538,303 Ibs., or 105,874 screwed bales. The imports of cotton into 

 Bombay amounted to 174,212,755 Ibs., which is a larger quantity than 

 that raised in the U. S- in 1826. For the two years 1840-1 the pro- 

 duce was nearly one third that of the U. S., and for the 3 years previous 

 to 1840, it averaged about half that of 1841. 



The annual growth of cotton in the U. S. and elsewhere now amounts 

 to 1200,000,000 Ibs. ; 700 millions in the U. S., 30 in Brazil, 8 in the 

 W. Indies, 27 in Egypt, 36 in the west of Africa, 290 in the west of 

 Asia, and India, 35 in Mexico and S. America, (Brazil excepted,) and 

 80 in other parts. This at 10 cents is $120,000,000, but the average 

 price for fifty years was about 19 cts., which would make the present 

 crops worth $234 millions. 



The annual consumption of cotton is supposed to be 350 million Ibs. 

 in G. Britain ; 130 millions in the U. S. ; 80 do. in France ; 250 in 

 China and India ; 25 in S. America ; 35 in Germany ; 45 in Turkey 

 and Africa; 10 in Spain and 20 in Prussia. The value of manufac- 

 tured cotton in G. Britain is annually about $170 millions, in France 

 $70 millions and in the U. S. $50 millions. The capital employed in 

 the manufacture in England is about $200 millions, in France 120 and 

 in the U. S. $50 millions. The consumption in the manufacture in all 

 Europe was in 1838, 500 million pounds. 



The progress of cotton manufacture, has much interest, from the 

 great rapidity which has marked that progress within the last half 

 century. The immense capital invested in this business, with all the 

 improvements which have been introduced, shows this branch of art 

 to have no equal in the civilized world. It has, indeed, been the most 

 extraordinary phenomenon in the history of industry. Even the fine 

 fabrics of India and China are now rivalled in Europe, notwithstand- 

 ing the great difference in the price of labor; and the raw mate- 

 rial is taken from thence 5000 miles, manufactured and returned for 

 consumption. 



The manufacture began in England about the first of the last cen- 

 tury, when the cotton was imported from India ; but, up to 1773, only 



