COTTON 265 
rupture. Acreage is gradually increasing, but so 
also is the number of spindles; so also is the demand 
for the products of these acres and spindles. 
While during the past twenty-five years there 
has been no great change in the price of the raw 
product, it is true that the cost of farm labor has 
increased with no appreciable decrease in the gen- 
eral cost of production; it is true also that manufac- 
tured goods have very greatly decreased in price, 
while here the cost of production has materially 
decreased because of increased skill in manufacture 
and the increasingly large number of labor-saving 
raachines. 
PRICES OF COTTON 
That the selling price of cotton has not decreased 
is seen in the table below; but let it be remembered 
that few improved tools and implements have yet 
been found of service in cotton production so as 
to decrease the cost of growing. 
HIGH AND LOW PRICES IN NEW YORK 
FOR MIDDLING UPLAND COTTON 
Ne) | ORE eee || Gee | eae Tee 
1826 14 9 1836 20 12 
1827 12 8 1837 17 7 
1828 13 9 1838 12 9 
1829 1i 8 1839 16 11 
1830 13 8 1840 10 8 
1831 11 7 1841 11 9 
1832 12 7 1842 9 7 
1833 17 9 1843 8 5 
1834 16 10 1844 9 5 
1835 20 15 1845 | 8¢ 5 
