COTTON PRODUCTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
The most important export of the American Union is its cotton-the mainstay of the Slave States. Statistics supplied by Mr. W. P. Wright, a cotton-broker of New York, show what advances have been made in the production of this staple. In 1828-'9 the crop amounted to 857,744 bales ; this total has increased, though not in regular progression, to 3,527,845 bales in 1855-'6-the largest quantity ever sent to market in a single year. How much to be regretted that this increased production of so useful an article has greatly tended to maintain and spread the curse of slavery ! From 1828-'9 to 1855-'6 the consumption of cotton in the Northern factories of America has increased from - 118,853 bales to 652,739 bales. During the last four years the product has been, not reckoning the home-consumption in the South, 3,262,882, 2,930,027, 2,847,338, and 3,527,845 bales respectively.
As all the world knows, we are the chief consumers of the slave-grown cotton of America. For three years we took more than a million and a half of bales yearly; while in 1855-'6 our share has been 1,921,386 bales; France taking 480,637; the countries in the North of Europe, 304,005; and other countries, 248,578-making a total export of 2,954,606 bales. New Orleans was the great receiving and exporting port for cotton; in 1$55-'6 the receipts were no less than 1,661,433 bales Mobile came next, with 659,738 bales. On,the 1st of September this year the stocks of cotton in America were lower than they had been for several years-only 64,171 bales. , The estimates of the next crop range between 3,000,000 and 3,300,000 bales. During 1855-'6 prices ruled higher than in the preceding year-an average of lot cents per pound, against oi cents in 1854-'6.
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