Part 7

In 1905 the world's crop closely approximated to 16,000,000 bales, whilst in 1904 it was nearly 19,000,000 bales and in 1906 nearly 20,000,000 bales. The United States produced very nearly seven-tenths of the total "visible" cotton crops of the world. This, however, is quite a modern development, comparatively speaking. "During the period from 1786 to 1790 the West Indies furnished about 70% of the British supply, the Mediterranean countries 20%, and Brazil 8%; whilst the quantity contributed by the United States and India was less than 1% and Egypt contributed none. In 1906 the United States contributed 65% of the commercial cotton, British India 19%, Egypt 7%, and Russia 3%. Of the countries which were prominent in the production of cotton in 1790, Brazil and Asiatic Turkey alone remain" (_U.S.A. Bureau of the Census, Bulletin No. 76_). The actual figures for the chief countries for 1904-1906, taken from the same source, are as follows:--

_The World's Commercial Cotton Crop._ (In 500 lb. Bales.)

+-----------------+------------+------------+------------+ | Country. | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | +-----------------+------------+------------+------------+ | United States | 13,085,000 | 10,340,000 | 13,016,000 | | British India | 2,843,000 | 2,519,000 | 3,708,000 | | Egypt | 1,258,000 | 1,181,000 | 1,400,000 | | Russia | 554,000 | 585,000 | 675,000 | | China | 468,000 | 415,000 | 418,000 | | Brazil | 210,000 | 258,000 | 275,000 | | Mexico | 114,000 | 125,000 | 130,000 | | Peru | 40,000 | 55,000 | 55,000 | | Turkey | 100,000 | 107,000 | 107,000 | | Persia | 45,000 | 47,000 | 47,000 | | Japan | 16,000 | 15,000 | 11,000 | | Other countries | 70,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | +-----------------+------------+------------+------------+ | Total | 18,803,000 | 15,747,000 | 19,942,000 | +-----------------+------------+------------+------------+

This title serves to indicate the principal countries contributing to the world's supply of cotton. The following notes afford a summary of the position of the industry in the more important countries.

_United States of America._--The cultivation of cotton as a staple crop in the United States dates from about 1770,[1] although efforts appear to have been made in Virginia as far back as 1621. The supplies continued to be small up to the end of the century. In 1792 the quantity exported from the United States was only equivalent to 275 bales, but by the year 1800 it had increased to nearly 36,000 bales. At the close of the war in 1815 the revival of trade led to an increased demand, and the progress of cotton cultivation in America became rapid and continuous, until at length about 85% of the raw material used by English manufacturers was derived from this one source. With a capacity for the production of cotton almost boundless, the crop which was so insignificant when the century began had in 1860 reached the enormous extent of 4,824,000 bales. This great source of supply, when apparently most abundant and secure, was shortly after suddenly cut off, and thousands were for a time deprived of employment and the means of subsistence. In this period of destitution the cotton-growing resources of every part of the globe were tested to the utmost; and in the exhibition of 1862 the representatives of every country from which supplies might be expected met to concert measures for obtaining all that was wanted without the aid of America. The colonies and dependencies of Great Britain, including India, seemed well able to grow all the cotton that could be required, whilst numerous other countries were ready to afford their co-operation. A powerful stimulus was thus given to the growth of cotton in all directions; a degree of activity and enterprise never witnessed before was seen in India, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Africa, the West Indies, Queensland, New South Wales, Peru, Brazil, and in short wherever cotton could be produced; and there seemed no room to doubt that in a short time there would be abundant supplies independently of America. But ten years afterwards, in the exhibition of 1872, which was specially devoted to cotton, a few only of the _thirty-five_ countries which had sent their samples in 1862 again appeared, and these for the most part only to bear witness to disappointment and failure. America had re-entered the field of competition, and was rapidly gaining ground so as to be able to bid defiance to the world. True, the supply from India had been more than doubled, the adulteration once so rife had been checked, and the improved quality and value of the cotton had been fully acknowledged, but still the superiority of the produce of the United States was proved beyond all dispute, and American cotton was again king. Slave labour disappeared, and under new and more promising auspices a fresh career of progress began. With rare combination of facilities and advantages, made available with remarkable skill and enterprise, the production of cotton in America seems likely for a long series of years to continue to increase in magnitude and importance. The total area of the cotton-producing region in the States is estimated at 448,000,000 acres, of which in 1906 only about one acre in fifteen was devoted to cotton. The potentialities of the region are thus enormous.

+------------------+---------------------------+----------------------+------------+ | States and | Upland Cotton. | Sea Island Cotton. | Total | | Territories. +--------------+------------+-----------+----------+ Value. | | | Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. | | +------------------+--------------+------------+-----------+----------+------------+ | | lb. | $ | lb. | $ | $ | | Alabama | 603,651,989 | 60,425,564 | .. | .. | 60,425,564 | | Arkansas | 450,991,361 | 45,144,235 | .. | .. | 45,144,235 | | Florida | 17,876,133 | 1,789,401 | 9,031,896 | 2,587,638| 4,377,039 | | Georgia | 750,762,910 | 75,151,367 | 9,950,634 | 2,850,857| 78,002,224 | | Indian Territory | 196,648,765 | 19,684,542 | .. | .. | 19,684,542 | | Kansas | 9,844 | 985 | .. | .. | 985 | | Kentucky | 1,008,290 | 100,930 | .. | .. | 100,930 | | Louisiana | 473,222,310 | 47,369,553 | .. | .. | 47,369,553 | | Mississippi | 732,755,978 | 73,348,874 | .. | .. | 73,348,874 | | Missouri | 26,040,093 | 2,606,613 | .. | .. | 2,606,613 | | New Mexico | 74,340 | 7,442 | .. | .. | 7,442 | | North Carolina | 276,215,506 | 27,649,172 | .. | .. | 27,649,172 | | Oklahoma | 233,396,905 | 23,363,030 | .. | .. | 23,363,030 | | South Carolina | 415,386,362 | 41,580,175 | 2,723,859 | 999,656| 42,579,831 | | Tennessee | 146,569,434 | 14,671,600 | .. | .. | 14,671,600 | | Texas |2,001,181,289 |200,318,247 | .. | .. |200,318,247 | | Virginia | 6,609,963 | 661,657 | .. | .. | 661,657 | +------------------+--------------+------------+-----------+----------+------------+ | Total--United |6,332,401,472 |633,873,387 |21,706,389 | 6,438,151|640,311,538 | | States | (=12,644,803 | .. | (=43,413 | .. | .. | | | bales) | .. | bales) | .. | .. | +------------------+--------------+------------+-----------+----------+------------+

Cotton is now the second crop of the United States, being surpassed in value only by Indian corn (maize). The area devoted to this crop in 1879 was 14,480,019 acres, and the total commercial crop was 5,755,359 bales. In 1899 the acreage had increased to 24,275,101 and the crop to 9,507,786 bales. In 1906 the total area was 28,686,000 acres and the crop 13,305,265 bales.

The preceding table gives the quantity, value and character of the crop for each of the cotton-growing states in 1906, as reported by the Bureau of the Census.

_Mexico._--Cotton is extensively grown in Mexico, and large quantities are used for home consumption. The cultivation is of very old standing. Cortes in 1519 is said to have received cotton garments as presents from the natives of Yucatan, and to have found the Mexicans using cotton extensively for clothing. From 1900 to 1905 the crop was about 100,000 bales per annum; the whole is consumed in local mills, and cotton is imported also from the United States.

_Brazil._--The cotton-growing region in Brazil comprises a belt some 200 m. in width, in the north-eastern portion of the country, and a strip along the valley of the San Francisco, where a large amount of the present crop is produced. The cotton is known in commerce under the name of the place of export, e.g. Maceio, Pernambuco or Pernam, Ceara, Rio Grande, &c. The export fluctuates greatly.

Bales of 500 lb. Approx. Value. 1901 53,002 L500,000 1902 143,963 1,200,000 1903 126,896 1,300,000 1904 59,413 800,000 1905 107,887 1,000,000 1906 142,972 1,500,000

The total production in 1906 was estimated at about 275,000 bales, but only a portion was available for export, there being an increasing consumption in Brazil itself.

_Peru._--Cotton is an important crop in Peru, where it has long been cultivated. Most of the crop is grown in the irrigated coastal valleys. With more water available, the output could be considerably increased, e.g. in the Piura district. "Rough Peruvian," the produce of one of the tree cottons, has a special use, as being rather harsh and wiry it is well adapted for mixing with wool. Egyptian cotton is also grown. The annual export is about 30,000 bales.

_Cotton Production in the British West Indies_: 1905-1906.[2]

+-------------------------+--------+----------+---------+----------+ | | | Yield = | Average | Value of | | Island. |Area in | Bales of | Price | Lint and | | | Acres. | 500 lb. |in Pence | Seed. | | | | | per lb. | | +-------------------------+--------+----------+---------+----------+ | Barbados. | 2,000 | 959 | 15.2 | L33,557 | | St Vincent. | 790 | 330 | 18.0 | 13,557 | | Grenada (mostly _Marie_ | 3,600 | 623 | 5.0 | 8,400 | | _galante_ cotton). | | | | | | St Kitts | 1,000 | 241 | 15.0 | 8,380 | | Nevis | 1,700 | 240 | 13.0 | 8,364 | | Anguilla | 1,000 | 161 | 15.0 | 5,280 | | Antigua | 700 | 200 | 14.2 | 6,522 | | Montserrat | 770 | 196 | 15.0 | 6,789 | | Virgin Islands | 40 | 14 | .. | 400 | | Jamaica | 1,500 | 123 | .. | 4,025 | +-------------------------+--------+----------+---------+----------+ | Total | 12,900 | 3087 | .. | L95,274 | +-------------------------+--------+----------+---------+----------+

_British West Indies._--Cotton was cultivated as a minor crop in parts of the West Indies as long ago as the 17th century, and at the opening of the 18th century the islands supplied about 70% of all the cotton used in Great Britain. Greater profits obtained from sugar caused the industry to be abandoned, except in the small island of Carriacou. In 1900 the Imperial Department of Agriculture and private planters began experiments with the object of reintroducing the cultivation, owing to the decline in value of sugar. The department was actively assisted by the British Cotton Growing Association, and the results have been very successful, as was shown at an exhibition held in Manchester in 1908. A supply of seed of a high grade of Sea Island cotton was obtained from Colonel Rivers's estate in the Sea Islands, S. Carolina, and so successful has the cultivation been that from some of the islands West Indian Sea Island cotton obtains a higher price than the corresponding grade of cotton from the Sea Islands themselves.

In 1902 the total area under cotton cultivation in the British West Indies was 500 acres. The industry made rapid progress. In 1903 it was 4000; in 1905-1906 it was 12,900; and for 1906-1907 it was 18,166 acres. The table indicates the chief cotton-producing islands, the acreage in each, yield, average value per pound and total value of the crop in 1905-1906.

The whole of this crop was Sea Island cotton, with the exception of the "Marie galante" grown in Carriacou. Marie galante is a harsh cotton of the Peruvian or Brazilian type. The low yield per acre in this island, and also the low value of the lint per lb. compared with the Sea Island cotton, is clearly apparent.

In 1906-1907 the acreage was substantially increased in many of the islands, e.g. Barbados from 2000 to 5000; St Vincent 790 to 1533; St Kitts and Anguilla 1000 to 1500 each; Antigua 700 to 1883. In Jamaica, on the other hand, it was reduced from 1500 to 300 acres.

_Spain._--Cotton was formerly grown in southern Spain on an extensive scale, and as recently as during the American Civil War a crop of 8000 to 10,000 bales was obtained. It is considered that with facilities for irrigation Andalusia could produce 150,000 bales annually. The former industry was abandoned as other crops became more remunerative. The government is encouraging recent efforts to re-establish the cultivation.

_Malta._--Cotton has long been cultivated in Malta, but the acreage diminished from 1750 acres in 1899 to 670 acres in 1906. A considerable quantity of the produce is spun and woven locally; e.g. in 1904 the export was equivalent to about 120 bales out of a total production of 330 bales, and in 1905 to 258 out of 333 bales (of 500 lb. each).

_Cyprus_ has a soil and climate suited to cotton, which was formerly grown here on a large scale. The rainfall is uncertain and low, however, never exceeding 40 in., and on the supply of water by irrigation the future of the industry mainly depends. The exports dwindled from 3600 bales in 1865 to 946 in 1905; great fluctuations occur, the export in 1904, for example, being only 338 bales. The cotton grown is rather short-stapled and goes mainly to Marseilles and Trieste. Some is used locally in the manufacture of cloth.

_Egypt._--The position of Egypt as the third cotton-producing country of the world has already been pointed out, and the varieties grown and the mode of cultivation described. The introduction of the exotic varieties dates from the beginning of the 19th century. The industry was actively promoted by a Frenchman named Jumel, in the service of Mehemet Ali, from 1820 onwards with great success. The area under cotton is about 1,800,000 acres.

_Cotton Production in Egypt._

1850 87,200 bales of 500 lb. 1865 439,000 " " 1890 798,000 " " 1904 1,258,000 " " 1905 1,250,000 " " 1906 1,400,000 " "

_The Egyptian Sudan._--Egyptian cotton was cultivated in the Sudan to the extent of 21,788 acres in 1906 chiefly on non-irrigated land. The exports, however, are small, almost all the crop being used locally. The chief difficulties are the supply of water, labour and transport facilities. Lord Cromer in his report on the Sudan for 1906 remarks that: "There seems to be some reason for thinking that the future--or at all events the immediate future--of Sudan agriculture lies more in the direction of cultivating wheat and other cereals than in that of cultivating cotton."

_West Africa._--Cotton has long been grown in the various countries on the west coast of Africa, ginned by hand or by very primitive means, spun into yarn, and woven on simple looms into "country cloths"; these are often only a few inches wide, so that any large cloths have to be made by sewing the narrow strips together. These native cloths are exceedingly durable, and many of them are ornamented by using dyed yarns and in other ways.

Southern Nigeria (Lagos) and northern Nigeria are the most important cotton countries amongst the British possessions on the coast. From the former there has been an export trade for many years which fluctuates remarkably according to the demand. Northern Nigeria is the seat of a very large native cotton industry, to supply the demand for cotton robes for the Mahommedan races inhabiting the country. The province of Zaria alone is estimated to produce annually 30,000 to 40,000 bales, all of which is used locally. Northern Nigeria contributes to the cotton exported from Lagos. The country offers a fairly promising field for development, especially now that arrangements have been made for providing the necessary means of transport by the construction of the new railways. The profits obtained from ground-nuts (_Arachis hypogea_) in Gambia, gold mining in the Gold Coast, and from products of the oil palm (_Elaeis guineensis_) in the palm-oil belt serve to prevent much attention being given to cotton in these districts.

_Exports of Cotton from Lagos._

1865 868 bales of 500 lb. 1869 1785 " " 1900 48 " " 1901 15 " " 1902 25 " " 1903 582 " " 1904 1725 " " 1905 2578 " "

_Exports of Cotton from British West Africa_, 1904, 1905 and 1906.

+----------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+ | | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | +----------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+ | | Bales | Bales | Bales | | | (500 lb). | (500 lb). | (500 lb). | | Gambia | 120 | 5 | 0 | | Sierra Leone | 56 | 139 | 176 | | Gold Coast | 115 | 50 | 186 | | Southern Nigeria and Lagos | 2296 | 2771 | 5392 | | Northern Nigeria | 574 | 250* | 712 | | +-----------+-----------+-----------+ | Total | 3161 | 3215 | 6466 | +----------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+ *Approximately.

_Nyasaland (British Central Africa).--_The cultivation of cotton on a commercial scale is quite new in Nyasaland, and although general conditions of soil and climate appear favourable the question of transport is serious and labour is not abundant. The exports were equivalent to 2 bales of 500 lb. in 1902-1903, 114 bales in 1903-1904, 570 bales in 1904-1905, 1553 bales in 1905-1906 and 1052 bales in 1906-1907. In the lower river lands Egyptian cotton has been the most successful, whilst Upland cotton is more suited to the highlands.

_British East Africa and Uganda.--_In these adjoining protectorates wild cottons occur, and suitable conditions exist in certain localities. Experimental work has been carried on, and in 1904 Uganda exported about 43 bales of cotton, and British East Africa about 177 bales. In 1906 the combined exports had risen to 362 bales, including a little from German East Africa. In 1904-1905 there were some 300 acres under cotton in British East Africa. Lack of direct transport facilities is a difficulty. Some of the native cottons are of fair quality, but Egyptian cotton appears likely to be best suited for growing for export.

_India_ is probably the most ancient cotton-growing country. For five centuries before the Christian era cotton was largely used in the domestic manufactures of India; and the clothing of the inhabitants then consisted, as now, chiefly of garments made from this vegetable product. More than two thousand years before Europe or England had conceived the idea of applying modern industry to the manufacture of cotton, India had matured a system of hand-spinning, weaving and dyeing which during that vast period received no recorded improvement. The people, though remarkable for their intelligence whilst Europe was in a state of barbarism, made no approximation to the mechanical operations of modern times, nor was the cultivation of cotton either improved or considerably extended. Possessing soil, climate and apparently all the requisite elements from nature for the production of cotton to an almost boundless extent, and of a useful and acceptable quality, India for a long series of years did but little towards supplying the manufactures of other countries with the raw material which they required. Between the years 1788 and 1850 numerous attempts were made by the East India Company to improve the cultivation and to increase the supply of cotton in India, and botanists and American planters were engaged for the purpose. One great object of their experiments was to introduce and acclimatize exotic cottons. Bourbon, New Orleans, Upland, Georgia, Sea Island, Pernambuco, Egyptian, &c., were tried but with little permanent success. The results of these and similar attempts led to the conclusion that efforts to improve the indigenous cottons were most likely to be rewarded with success. Still more recently, however, experiments have been made to grow Egyptian cotton in Sind with the help of irrigation. Abassi has given the best results, and the experiments have been so successful that in 1904-1905 an out-turn of not less than 100,000 bales "was prophesied in the course of a few years" (Report of Director, Land Records and Agriculture). The average annual production in India approximates to 3,000,000 bales. The area under cotton in all British India is about 20,000,000 acres, the crop being grown in a very primitive manner. The bulk of the cotton is of very short staple, about three-quarters of an inch, and is not well suited to the requirements of the English spinner, but very large mills specially fitted to deal with short-stapled cottons have been erected in India and consume about one-half the total crop, the remainder being exported to Germany and other European countries, Japan and China. In 1906 the United Kingdom took less than 5% of the cotton exported.

_Cotton Production in British India._[3]

1859 1,316,800 bales of 500 lb. 1904 3,172,800 " " 1905 2,848,800 " " 1906 4,038,400 " "

About 50% of the cotton produced is consumed in Indian mills and the remainder is exported.

_China._--Cotton has not been cultivated in China from such early times as in India, and although cotton cloths are mentioned in early writings it was not until about A.D. 1300 that the plant was grown on any considerable scale. There are no figures obtainable as to the production, but it must be very large, considering that the crop provides clothing for a large proportion of the population of China. During recent years a considerable quantity of cotton has been exported, but more than a compensating amount of raw cotton, yarns and textiles, is imported. An estimate of the crop puts it at about 1,500,000 bales.

_Korea_ is stated to have originally received its cotton plants from China some 500 years ago. Conditions are well adapted to the cultivation of the plant, and since the cessation of the Russo-Japanese War the Japanese have undertaken the development of the industry. Figures are difficult to obtain, but an official report from the Japanese Residency General in 1907 estimated the crop at about 214,000 bales, all being used locally. In the future Korea may become an important source of supply for Japan, especially if, as appears likely, Korea proves suited to the cultivation of American cotton.

_Japan_ received cotton from India before China, and the plant is extensively grown, especially in West and Middle Japan. The production is not sufficient to meet the home demand; during the five years of normal trade before the war with Russia Japan imported annually about 800,000 bales of cotton, chiefly from British India, China and the United States, and during the same period exported each year some 2000 bales, mainly to Korea.

_Dutch East Indies._--In Java and other Dutch possessions in the East cotton is cultivated. A considerable amount is used locally, and during the six years ending in 1907 the surplus exported ranged from about 24,000 to 40,000 bales per annum.

_Russia._--Some cotton is produced in European Russia in the southern Caucasus, but Turkestan in central Asia is by far the more important source of Russian-grown cotton. In this region cotton has been cultivated from very early times to supply local demands, and to a minor degree for export. Since about 1875 the Russians have fostered the industry, introducing American Upland varieties, distributing seed free, importing gins, providing instruction, and guaranteeing the purchase of the crops. The Trans-Caspian railway has been an important factor; almost all the cotton exported passes over this line, and the statistics of this trade indicate the progress made. The shipments increased from 250,978 bales in 1896-1897 to 495,962 bales in 1901-1902--part, however, being Persian cotton. The production of cotton in Russia in 1906 was estimated at 675,000 bales of 500 lb. each. About one-third of the cotton used in Russian mills is grown on Russian territory, the remainder coming chiefly from the United States.