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 
machines. 
PRICES OF COTTON 
That the selling price of cotton has not decreased 
is seen in the table Tbelow; 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 
Year 
Highest 
Lowest 
Year 
Highest 
Lowest 
cents 
cents 
cents 
cents 
1826 
14 
9 
1836 
20 
12 
1827 
12 
8 
1837 
17 
7 
1828 
13 
9 
1838 
12 
9 
1829 
11 
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 
5 
