"The import into the kingdom this year has been— Bags, 1,211,271 American; 1,629,426 of all sorts, in 1844. 66 1,341,312 66 "The stock, on the 30th November, was in 1843. Bags, 602,400 American; 972,900 of all sorts, to 1844. 1,287,853 66 496,700 66 in 1343. "It is thus shown that the stock is at present 180,300 bags more than last year; and the new crop is arriving freely, so that no great diminution in the stock can take place; and, consequently, an improvement in prices may be considered out of the question. Texas, with her rich cotton lands, will soon be pressing yet further into competition. The experiments in India are not yet abandoned. The following, relating to this subject, is taken from the Southern Cultivator, a paper published in one of the largest cotton-growing States, at Augusta, Georgia : "Growth of American cotton in India.-In regard to the culture of American cotton in Bengal, it must be admitted that, although the experiments have been numerous, and, in some instances, on an extended scale, the whole have hitherto been conducted by amateurs, many of whom, having satisfied a temporary wish to try the culture, have abandoned it, whether successful or otherwise; so that it is almost impossible to form a decided opinion as to how far the cultivation would answer in a commercial point of view. Of late, however, there appears to be a desire, on the part of the Government of Bengal, to take up the culture, as evinced in the appointment last year of a gentleman who has had considerable experience in America, for the express purpose of reporting, after a careful investigation, on the capabilities of the climate and soil of Dacca, and the surrounding districts, for the introduction of the foreign staple. We alluded to this circumstance on a former occasion; and we now learn, from the reports which the deputy governor has considerately placed at the disposal of the agricultural society, and which were submitted at its last meeting, that, during the last eight months, Mr. Price has been engaged in travelling over various parts of Dacca, Furreed pore, Tippera, and Bulloah, situated on the Dultussary, Conni, Megna, Burrapootra, Luckia, and other rivers in that tract of country; and has seen many spots on which the foreign cotton could be cultivated to advantage, more particularly on the islands situated on the Hottea and Surdeep, as also on other small islands situated on the Hottea river, in consequence of their contiguity to the sea. Some of his experiments have been successful, while others have failed; but in no instance does he appear to have received fresh seed in time to sow at the proper season; so, on this very essential point, he may be said to have labored under a great disadvantage, besides experiencing other minor difficulties incidental to nearly all first attempts at a new culture. "Notwithstanding these natural obstacles, he seems to have seen enough to induce him to hold out sanguine hopes that, if advantage can be taken of the proper season, he will be able to cultivate the plant to advantage in the Dacca district. In consequence of this favorable opinion, we understand that Government have it in contemplation to commence the work in earnest, by the appropriation of such tracts in the district as, from previous examination, may be considered most fitting for the cultivation of American cotton, and combine therewith a matter of even still greater importance-namely, the increased cultivation and improvement of the indigenple."-Calcutta Star. And again: "Cotton in India.-The following item of news, received by the late arrivals from England, will be interesting to some of our readers : "The report of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce, contained in the India newspapers, shows that the experiments in growing cotton have been, on the whole, successful. "A specimen of Nurma cotton was pronounced to be a very fine, soft, long, strong, and clear-colored staple, which would compete with the very best American short staple cotton, could it be produced in sufficient quantity." The statement below is one which deserves most sérious consideration: "East India cotton.-It appears by the latest advices from Liverpool, that, notwithstanding the large amount of cotton sent from India to China, the importations into Great Britain during the past year, from that quarter, have been larger than ever before. It also appears that East India cotton has been so much improved in quality, that it now competes even with Mobile and New Orleans cotton; the best of the former selling as high as 31d. per pound, while the lowest of Mobile brought 34d., and New Orleans 3d. Besides this, while the imports of East India cotton have increased, during the year, to the amount of 62,757 bales, those of American cotton have decreased to the amount of 272,983. Decrease of American cotton, twenty per cent. Increase of East India, forty-three per cent." "The valuable qualities of cotton in their relative order," (says Mr. Seabrook, in his treatise on the subject,) "are strength, firmuess, length, evenness, and freedom from knots and entanglements.' He says: 66 The recognised distinctions on the continent of Europe are as follows: 1. The North American. 2. The West Indian. 3. The South American. 4. The East Indian. 5. The Levantine. 6. The African. 7. The Italian. s. The Spanish. "The relative value of the above cottons is as follows: The application of cotton for a variety of articles has been suggested as a mode of increasing the consumption of the article. Perhaps none of these is more important than that which is contained in the following, which we take from the American Farmer, which, as it will be seen, credits it to the Cultivator : 12. The whole of the paper in the Southron will be found in appendix No. "We find the following in the Albany Cultivator: Cotton beds are becoming very much in use on steamboats on the Western rivers, and are considered superior to any kind but hair." "Cotton beds.-We have received, from J. A. Guernsey, Esq., a copy of the Southron,' published at Jackson, Mississippi, containing some remarks on the advantages of cotton for bedding. These advantages may be summed up as follows: "It is claimed that it is the cheapest, most comfortable, and most healthy material for bedding that is known in the civilized world. In addition to these, may be named superior cleanliness; vermin will not abide it; there is no grease in it, as in hair or wool; it does not get stale, and acquire an unpleasant odor, as feathers do; moths do not infest it, as they do wool; it does not puck and become hard, as moss does; nor does it become dry, brittle, and dusty, as do straw and husks; and in may cases it is medicinal. It is said not to cause that lassitude and inertia which is produced by sleeping on feathers. People not acquainted with it have supposed that they have been sleeping on the best feathers, when in fact their beds were made of cotton," The relative cost of cotton, compared with feathers, hair, &c., may be seen from the following statement: Cost of a hair mattress.-They are generally sold by the pound, and cost from 50 to 75 cents per pound. Thirty or forty pounds will cost $15 or $20. Wool. Thirty pounds of wool, at 30 cents per pound, $9; twelve yards of ticking, at 12 cents per yard, $1 50; labor, thread, &c., $2 75. Total, $13 25. Feathers. Forty pounds of feathers, at 30 cents per pound, $12; fifteen yards of ticking, at 124 cents per yard, $1 874; labor, &c., $2 75. Total, $16 624. Cotton.-Thirty pounds of cotton, at 8 cents per pound, $3 40; twelve yards of ticking, at 124 cents per yard, $1 50; labor, thread, &c., $2 75. Total, $7 65. It is recommended to run the cotton through a "picker," where one can conveniently be obtained, before using. This gives it additional cleanliness and buoyancy. The substitution of cotton for bedding, throughout the United States, would be an immense saving, besides opening a new avenue for that artiele to an extent, according to the estimation of this writer, equal "to more than two of the largest crops of cotton ever produced in the United States." Other suggestions are made, like another article, also from a Southera journal: "The following admirable hints we find addressed to the farmers of South Carolina by a correspondent in the Southern Agriculturist. We wish that they might reach and be heeded by all; for it is certain that the stock of cotton on hand in Europe is fearfully accumulating, and that so long as this process is going on, it must continue to fall. There is no escaping this dilemma; and the sooner our Southern brethren look this matter in the face, and provide for it by a change of system, the better it will be for them. We hope they will take these observations kindly, for they are kindly meant. "There is a partial, if not complete, remedy for this evil, which I take the liberty of suggesting through your pages. Let every cotton planter make it a rule, and adhere strictly to it, to make no more cotton than he can make clear of his plantation expenses; that is, let him pay all his plantation expenses by other crops, and make only so much cotton as will support his family, pay his debts, and add to his property. Many planters, I dare say, will answer, that they would be glad to make enough cotton to pay their debts and support their families. This may be true as to some; but, in general, it would be more pert than true. Even those who are hardest run, purchase corn, salt, negro clothes, &c., with cotton' money. I doubt if there is any planter who could not produce enough for market, besides cotton, to pay for all these things and all plantation expenses. Some are so situated that they could sell corn alone sufficient for the purpose. Let them increase their corn crop, then, to that amount, and diminish cotton. Others, again, if the corn could not be sold, might feed it to stock, and sell that. It will bear transportation; and there is a great deal of foreign beef and bacon sold in the cotton region. Wheat and flour, in the middle and upper country, could be made to pay these contingencies. Rice will grow at the foot of the mountains, and command a good price; and so will tobacco. Many could pay these expenses by cutting timber and making shingles, staves, &c. In short, there are few planters in the whole cotton region who might not, by a little diversion of labor, manage to make what cotton they do clear of the expense of production, and do so profitably. Let each planter look around him, and see what his resources are. I do not invite him to make his own shoes, hats, blankets, clothes, salt, and iron. In most cases, others, who are in these lines, can make these things and bring them to his door cheaper than he can make them himself. But he can follow the business he understands, or at least is best prepared to carry on, and make something else besides cotton to pay for them. I know the folly of recommending any measure to planters requiring their combined action. I recommend this to each planter, for his own individual advantage, as well as for the sake of the whole. While it will diminish the aggregate crop, if it curtails but a bale, it will teach each man to be independent, to a certain extent, of cotton speculators, open his eyes to his own resources, and gradually prepare the way for that change of culture which is inevitable and at hand for all those who cannot make a heavy bale to the acre. And I would add, that every planter should, as speedily as possible, reduce his culture to such land only as will make a heavy bale per acre. If he has none such, let him 'make it.' Manure will soon do it. Cut down the cotton, increase the corn and pea crops, pen hogs, cattle, and every thing else, on straw, muck, weeds, &c., and he will soon have as much land that will raise him a bale to the acre as he wants, if he makes no more cotton than he makes 'clear.' "I preach no more than I practise. I am a middle-aged planter, and have nearly always made my cotton crop clear. I have suffered my share in the hard times, and have met, I think, more than my average of losses: yet I kept above board, without any stringent economy, mainly because I have paid plantation expenses by selling corn, peas, oats, &c. My expenses have been as heavy as any planter's of the same force, and my land probably as poor; yet I have kept up chiefly, I think, because I did not have to pay them in a lump at the end of the year out of my cotton, which would have left me so small a surplus that probably I should not have thought it worth taking care of. The balance would have been mere odds and ends, which few know how to make tell. I have made corn, &c., supply my odds and ends of cash, and appropriated them, as they came to hand, to pay current expenses; and when my cotton came in, I could do something with my little lump of clear money. Let me say, also, that, after next year, I shall not plant an acre but will (or, at least, ought to) yield me 400 pounds of clean cotton-not one; and not many, I trust, next year. Yet my land, in its best natural condition, will not average half that much. What I adopt for my own good, and experience has proved to me is for the good of every planter, both individually and collectively, I recommend others to try." Suggestions like these deserve to be pondered. There are various products which may be substituted, some of which will be more particularly considered further on. Among these are madder, indigo, raising of sheep, of the alpacca, making of silk, &c. It is stated, in an agricultural address delivered in Mississippi, that Judge Bry, of Louisiana, who has for fifteen years been engaged in raising silk, says that he could produce silk on his plantation to the value of several thousand dollars, without planting one stalk of cotton less, or interfering perceptibly with the cotton crop. Whether or not this is so, there can be no doubt that the silk culture is admirably adapted to the South, and that it might supply a fine outlet for unprofitable labor in the overproduction of cotton. The alarm is now so great, that conventions have been called in Mississippi and some of the other States, to take suitable measures to reduce the amount of cotton raised, as long as demand is comparatively less in proportion to the supply. The following resolution was adopted in the House of Representatives in Alabama, and referred to a select committee of nine members: "Resolved, That the increased production and diminished price of the principal staple of this State admonish us of the propriety of seeking new sources for the employment of labor and the investment of capital; and that, as preparatory thereto, it be referred to a special committee, to report as to the expediency of providing, by bill, for an accurate and full geological survey of this State." This measure will no doubt prove very beneficial, as it will tend to develop the resources of the State. Another benefit would be, the establishment and steady support of an agricultural journal, which may bring within reach of the agricultural population those features of cultivation and kinds of products which are best adapted to their circumstances. The introduction of improvements and comforts will always keep pace with the knowledge on the subject which is obtained. By the investigations into the nature of the soil, and the proper means of culture, the most excellent crops may be produced, and an article that will always find a ready market at an advanced price. The attempt to discourage the production by mutual promises not to cultivate will scarcely be found more successful than former oues have been. Jealousies and individual interests will more or less be seen to clash with such a project; but the working up and applying more of the article in various forms on their own plantations, or in |