The activity of the "Bremen Cotton Exchange" depends, to a large
extent, upon the import figures, and these again are under the
influence of the various crops. In America, big crops alternate with
small ones, the cause for this diversity is to be found in the climate
conditions, and also in the ruling range of price. High prices
stimulate an extensive planting and a careful cultivation of the
ground, while low prices have the contrary effect. The crop figures
from 1872-1914, were ascending, an occasional decline was made good
later on.
The following figures will make this clear.
American crops:
1872 3 650 000 bales
1875 4 302 000 "
1878 4 745 050 "
1881 5 136 000 "
1884 5 477 000 "
1887 6 884 000 "
1891 8 940 000 "
1894 10 025 000 "
1898 10 985 000 "
1901 9 749 000 "
1904 13 697 000 "
1907 11 326 000 "
1910 11 966 000 "
1913 14 614 000 "
1914 16 738 000 "
1915 12 013 000 "
1916 12 664 000 "
1917 12 345 000 "
1918 12 817 000 "
1919 11 921 000 "
1920 13 711 000 "
1921 8 000 000[1]"
[1] estimated.
The reverse, which the production suffered since 1914, is remarkable,
it is largely accounted for, by the want of artificial manure. German
potash could not be obtained, and this was largely used by all cotton
states, with the exception of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas,
which do not require that kind of fertilizer. In addition, the boll
weevil has become a dreaded enemy of the cotton plant. The insect world
produces quite an army of little fiends, that viciously attack and
reduce the crop, many have disappeared, but the boll weevil is, at
present, the arch-enemy; it is a small beetle which bores into the
bolls to deposit its eggs there.
The following figures give the distribution of the American crops.
| Export from America | | Taken by |
| to | | American | Percentage
| Great |Continent, |Total in | Spinners |of the crop
|Britain |Japan etc. |thousands|(in thousands|used by the
|in thousands of bales|of bales | of bales) | U.S.A.
+ + + + +
1871/72 | 1 474 | 483 | 1 957 | 1 097 | 37
1874/75 | 1 833 | 841 | 2 674 | 1 201 | 31
1877/78 | 2 047 | 1 309 | 3 356 | 1 496 | 31
1880/81 | 2 832 | 1 733 | 4 565 | 1 938 | 29
1883/84 | 2 485 | 1 432 | 3 917 | 1 877 | 33
1886/87 | 2 704 | 1 741 | 4 445 | 2 088 | 32
1890/91 | 3 345 | 2 446 | 5 791 | 2 640 | 30
1893/94 | 2 861 | 2 371 | 5 232 | 2 291 | 30
1896/97 | 3 022 | 2 957 | 5 979 | 2 792 | 32
1900/01 | 3 050 | 3 488 | 6 538 | 3 547 | 34
1903/04 | 2 577 | 3 455 | 6 032 | 3 935 | 39
1906/07 | 3 750 | 4 614 | 8 364 | 5 005 | 37
1909/10 | 2 430 | 3 778 | 6 208 | 4 256 | 40
1912/13 | 3 604 | 5 176 | 8 780 | 5 389 | 38
1913/14 | 3 419 | 5 447 | 8 866 | 5 503 | 38
1914/15 | 3 798 | 4 571 | 8 369 | 6 088 | 40
1915/16 | 2 866 | 3 185 | 6 051 | 6 810 | 53
1916/17 | 2 888 | 3 076 | 5 764 | 6 914 | 55
1917/18 | 2 247 | 2 179 | 4 426 | 7 073 | 59
1918/19 | 2 621 | 3 025 | 5 646 | 5 460 | 48
1919/20 | 3 062 | 3 300 | 6 362 | 6 131 | 50
1920/21 | 1 583 | 3 771 | 5 353 | 4 914 | 48
1921/22 | 1 946 | 4 586 | 6 532 | 6 308 | 50
From these statistics the important lesson to be learnt, is, that
America has surpassed all other countries in the growth of the cotton
industry. Fifty years ago, and later, America used only about 30% of
the crop for home consumption, while now, it requires more than half.
Equally remarkable is also the rapid growth of Japan. For many decades
after 1872, Japan used hardly any American cotton, but in 1913, it took
465 000 bales; in 1920 780 000 bales; in 1921: 600 000 bales, and the
estimate for 1922, is 800 000 bales. Besides this, a great many other
descriptions are spun there. The use of East Indian cotton is even
greater than that of American, and it reached two thirds of East
India's consumption, thus placing Japan, after America and England, in
the third place of cotton consuming countries. During the first half
year of 1921, it has even outdone America and England, because these
two countries were in the throes of a crisis.
For many decades, England had almost a monopoly for providing Asia, and
the rest of the world, with cotton goods, and required a corresponding
amount of raw material, but now, it has lost that position. Grave
concern is felt in England, as well as in the whole of Europe,
regarding the future of the cotton industry, as it seems impossible to
prevent a further expansion in America and Japan, besides that, there
is the growing menace of the boll weevil, which many people consider an
unwelcome guest, that has come to stay.
Amongst the other cotton growing countries, Brazil perhaps, offers the
best prospect, on account of the great interest taken there in the
cultivation of the cotton plant, also, the Argentine gives rise to some
hope.