Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 6.djvu/519

COTTON TABLE II. Total American Crops (in Bales) from 1826-27 to 1875-76. 487 J i Years. Total Crop. Stock in tho Torts at com mencement of Season. Total Supply Years. Total Crop 1 , Stock in (h<J Ports at com mencement o Season. Total Supply. 1826-27 957,281 957,281 1850-51 2,415,257 107.930 2,583,187 1827-28 720,593 720,593 1851-52 3,098,029 128^304 3,218,333 1828-29 857,744 857,744 1852-53 3,352,882 91,176 3,444,058 1829-30 976,845 16, 562 993,407 1853-54 3,035,027 135,643 3,170,670 1830-31 1,038,847 20,898 1,059,745 1854-55 2,932,339 135,603 3,067,942 1831-32 987,477 119,423 1,106,900 1855-56 3,645,345 143,336 3,788,681 1832-33 1,070,438 41,599 1,112,037 1856-57 3,056,519 64,171 3,120,690 1833-34 1,205,394 48,205 1,253,599 1857-58 3,238,962 49,258 3,288,220 1834-35 1,254,328 29,617 1,283,945 1858-59 3,994,481 102,926 4,097,407 1835-36 1,360,725 41,623 1,402,348 1859-60 4,823,770 149,237 4,973,007 1830-37 1,425,575 43,341 1,468,916 1860-61 3,826,086 227,708 4,053,794 1837-33 1,804,797 75,820 1,880,617 1861-65 1838-39 1,363,403 40,305 1,403,708 1865-66 2,314, 476 248, l25 2,562,601 1839-40 2,181,749 52,244 2,233,993 1866-67 2,204,089 282,439 2,486,528 1840-41 1,639,353 58,442 1,697,795 1867-68 2,498,895 80,216 2,579,111 1841-42 1,688,675 82,068 1,770,743 1868-69 2,439,039 38,130 2,477,169 1842-43 2,394,203 31,807 2,426,010 1869-70 8,154,946 12,343 3,167,289 1843-44 2,108,579 94,486 2,203,065 1870-71 4,352,317 59,747 4,412,064 1844-45 2,484,662 159,772 2,644,434 1871-72 2,974,351 104,814 3,079,165 1845-46 2,170,537 94,126 2,264,663 1872-73 3,930,508 54,521 3,985,029 1846-47 1,860,479 107,122 1,967,601 1873-74 4,170,388 90,989 4,261,377 1847-43 2,434,113 214,837 2,638,950 1874-75 3,832,991 108,152 3,941,143 1848-49 2,808,596 171,468 2,980,064 1S75-7.G 4,669,383 C6.059 4,735,347 1849-50 2,171,706 154,753 2.326,459 TABLE III. Shoiviny ihe Appropriation of the entire Crop of Cotton raised in America. DISTRIBUTION IN AVERAGE PERIODS OF FIVE YEARS. PROPORTIONAL DISTRIBUTION. EXPORT. Taken by American Total EXPORT. Taken by American Great Britain. France. North Europe. Other Torts. Total. North and South. Deliveries Great Britain. France. North Europe. Other Ports. Total. North and South. 1826-31.. 556,663 163,822 42,374 762,859 122,183 885,042 62-90 18-51 4-79 86-20 13-80 1826-31 11831-36.. 703,690 229,962 38,641 13,154 985,447 204,099 1,189,546 59 16 19-33 3-25 1-10 82-84 17 16 1831 -36 1836-41.. 983,978 324,137 54,113 39,376 1,401,604 268,080 1,669,684 58-94 19-41 3-24 2-36 83-95 16-05 1836-41 1841-46 .. 1,229,903 349,203 97,599 94,380 1,771,085 390,324 2,161,409 56-90 16-16 4-51 4 37 81-94 18-06 1841 46 1846-51.. 1,243,632 295,980 112,629 129,007 1,781,238 548,583 2,329,821 53-37 12-70 4-84 5-53 76-44 23-56 1846-51 1851-56.. 1,696,092 422,546 188,886 190,478 2,498,002 720,686 3,218,688 52-70 13-13 5-86 5-91 77-60 22-40 1851 -56 1856-61. 2,020,549 483,141 260,455 189,106 2,953,251 826,825 3,780,076 53-45 12-78 6-89 5-00 78-12 21-88 1856-66 1866-70.. 1,234,359 237,634 144,107 63,034 1,679,134 874,860 2,553,994 48-34 9-30 5-64 2-46 65-74 34-26 1866-70 1870-75./l,8J7,833 261,245 393,696 113,172 2.665.946 1,183,543 3,849,489 49 30 6-79 10-22 2-94 69-25 30-75 1870-75 1875-761 (1 year) I 2,080,711 456,872 498,249 217,162 3,252,994 1,362,389 4,615,383 45-08 9-90 10-80 4-70 70 48 29-52 j 1875-76 I (1 year. COTTON MANUFACTURE AND TRADE. The manufacture of cotton had its origin in the East, where the cotton plant is indigenous, and where the climate renders a light and absorbent fabric a suitable clothing for the people. It has in consequence been long established over every part of Asia, although it was only in India that the fabric was manufactured extensively with a view to foreign exchange. Arrian mentions cotton cloth among the commodities which the Romans brought from India ; but the quantity imported by them was inconsiderable, from the preference which they gave to woollen clothing. The difference between ancient and modern Indian imports appears to have arisen, not from any diversity in the nature of the goods produced iu that country, but from variety in the tastes or in the "wants of the nations with which it has traded. The implements used by the Indians in the different processes of the cotton manufacture, from the cleaning of the wool to its conversion into the finest muslin, may be purchased for the value of a few shillings, and are of so rude and simple a construction as to be evidently the invention of a very early period. With the exception of the loom, none of them deserves the name of a machine, or displays the slightest mechanical ingenuity. They spin the yarn upon the distaff; and yet, with all the advantages Which we in this country derive from machinery, we have only recently been able to equal, either in fineness or quality, the yarn which is produced by means of this primitive instrument. The well-managed use of the finger and thumb of the Indian spinner, patiently and carefully applied in the formation of the thread, and the moisture at the same time communicated to it, are found to have tho effect of incorporating the fibres of the cotton more perfectly than can be accomplished by our most improved machines. The loom is composed of a few sticks or reeds, which the Indian carries about with him, and puts up in the fields under the shade of a tree, or at the side of his cottage. He digs a hole large enough to contain his legs and tho lower part of the " geer," and fastens the balances to somo convenient branch overhead. Two loops underneath tho geer, in which he inserts his great toes, serve as treadles ; and he employs the shuttle, formed like a large netting needle, but of a length somewhat exceeding the breadth of the cloth, as "battoon," using it alternately to draw through the weft and strike it up. The reed is the only part of the weaving apparatus which approaches, in tha perfection of its construction, to the instruments we use. The loom has no beam, and the warp is laid out upon tho ground the whole length of the piece of cloth. The weavers live entirely in villages, as they could not, if shut up in towns, work in this manner. It is probable that the whole of the implements which

have just been described existed as we now lind them before