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THE WORLD'S COTTON. 
According to Census Bulletin No. 110, giving cotton sta- 
tistics for the year ending August 31, 1910, the number of ac- 
tive cotton spindles in the world has increased from 105,- 
681,000 in 1900 to 134,526,000 in 1910, or^27.3 per cent. The 
consumption of cotton per spindle was 70.9 pounds in 1900, 
compared with 67.2 pounds in 1910. While this decrease has 
been due in part to the fact that the spindles were operated to 
a greater percentage of their capacity in 1900 than during the 
past year, it is probably due more largely to the increasing 
manufacture of finer goods. 
The fluctuations in the world's commercial supply of cotton 
are measured practically by the variation of the annual pro- 
duction of cotton in the United States, as this country fur- 
nishes about two-thirds of the total commercial supply. The 
consumption of cotton during the year ending August 31, 
1910, was 18,321,000 bales of 500 pounds gross weight. 
Assuming that the consumption statistics for foreign coun- 
tries have been returned in net-weight bales, and reducing 
the American consumption figures to net-weight bales, the 
world's consumption is estimated at 18,079,000 bales of 500 
pounds net. 
EXTENT OF COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION OF COTTON. 
The world's commercial production of cotton in 1909 
amounted to 16,558,000 bales, or 1,521,000 bales less than the 
consumption for the year ending August 31, 1910. The world's 
consumption of cotton during the year ending August 31, 1909, 
amounted to 19,397,000 bales, the capacity of the mills has been 
increased by about 1,250,000 spindles during 1910. For this 
reason the potential consumption of the mills of the world at 
the present time is estimated to be not less than 20,000,000 
bales. Furthermore, the stocks of manufactured goods have 
materially decreased, so that, in 1910, a world crop equal to 
this consumption requirement of 20,000,000 bales is needed. 
Of this the United States would be expected to contribute at 
least 13,500,000 bales in order to keep the mills operating dur- 
ing the year and to prevent further reduction in the already 
low supply of raw cotton. 
In respect to cotton manufactures, the United Kingdom 
ranks first as an exporting country, and British India as an 
importing country. Germany ranks second in exports, and 
is followed by France, Belgium, Switzerland, and British 
India, in the order named. In respect to the value of cotton 
goods imported, China ranks next to British India and is 
followed by Germany and the United States. 
