The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-26
THE COTTON CROP.

THE COTTON CROP.
>~~~~>~~~>~~~-~~~>~~~>.~.- a
Prospects for the Crop OF 1S6S-'9-Iiavages !
by tho Caterpillar and boil Worm-Esti- |
mate Of the Number Of Bales Made-The |
Crop Not 70 Exceed 2,1OO,O OO-Why Cot. |
ton Is Being Literally Carried to Market |
Thirty Cents Per Pound Rejected by Some
Planters.
ATLANTA, Ca, Oct. q, 1865.
Directly indirectly every man, woman ana child |
In the South il interested In the cotton crop.
Though no longer king the staple yet possesses an
influence considerably greater than many would
imagine. The 1.600 600 bales sent to Europe yearly
represent sum in gold coin which aids to greater
extent than any other OF articles Of export to
reduce the amount OF coin needed to pay for our
ports with. The 1000, 900 OF bales consumed at
home keep busy the mills Of New England and give
support to many thousands Of human beings out
side Of the millions engaged in the culture of cotton
Thus the dethr0ned monarch though for the present
deprived Of political power ia nevertheless potent
In business and social circles and the question
whether he will be in force this year is Of de-
cded interest
THE INJURIES SUSTAINED By THE CROP.
What will be the cotton crop or IS6s-99 Specu-
lators In the South and at the North interested in
depressing prices are endeavorng to underestimate
the ravages of the boil worm and caterpillar and
to overestimate the yield. But this style OF reckon
ing will not do. No single individual could possibly
have made q more extensive tour Of the South dur
ing the past season than has your correspondent,
and careful observations prove that the planters
have but little exaggerated the injuries sustained by
the crop. On the whole larger area Of land was
planted In cotton this year than last year. Not
In all Of the States it s true; but IN Alabama Missis-
sippi Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and probably
Louisiana this was the case. But even had there
not been there was reason why the present crop
should not have equaled that of 1s67 It must be
recoected that the overflow OF the Mississippi river
and Its tributaries destroyed very large amount OF
cotton In Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Ten
esseeprobably aggregatng 600 bales, and yet
left crop OF 100000 bales in round numbers.
There have been overnows this year. and had not
other sources Of injury appeared there Is doubt
that the present crop would have touched 275O00O
| bales.
| During the early months Of planting the cotton
looked well and promised large yield; but long
drought followed by . perfect deluge OF rain, seri-
| ously anected the prospect though not to sum-
GENTLY alarming extent to render planters appre-
| hensive Of failure. greater danger was however,
ut hand During the month Of July the caterpillars
made their appearance, and In few weeks three
fourths OF the fields presented dreary desolate as
pect / have travelled for scores OF miles through
Alabama, Georgia and Florida, and failed to see an
acre OF cotton land with single green leaf on 1t.
Nothing but dry black stalks dotted here and there
| with few bos, which had arrived 1t maturity be-
| fore the enemy appeared, and were prematurely
| opened by the rays OF burning sun. The ravages
OF the caterpillars were capricious Some planters
were nearly II not entirely left undisturbed while
their ncighbors all sides were utterly ruined As
| an instance Of this singular immunity from damage
| will take Leon county, in Florida. Colonel VIII
liams very extensive planter, and few others have
| made unusually large crops, although their neigh
bors win surfer heavy loss. Whether their good luck
caused by their having different description OF
soil from that ravaged, from q difference in the
method OF cultivation are questions cannot answer
And 1t s this happy escape in many cotton States
that saves the crop from being disastrous failure
Frequently the north half Of country traversed
by myriads OF caerpilars while the south half saw
but few or none Every Southern State was more or
less visited by them although they appeared 30 late
in Mississippi Arkansas and Texas that the damage
done less than in the other States The boil worm
| also destroyed some cotton but do not think any
| considerable quantity. f4 Sass
Aiding to no small degree in the work OF decreas-
ing the yield has been the conduct OF the negroes
No matter radical letter writers declare to the
contrary II undeniaby the fact that the negroes do
| much less work than before the war. There are
| too many political meetings to attend and
| too many jeaousies between the aborers
| for anything like full crops 10 be made.
| The system OF hiring hands to work on shares
is bad and has proven SO. planter employs NIFTY
negroes to work for one-haif OF the crop and one
takes III goes fishing, the chances are that the re-
naming y-nine will abandon work because OF the
| absent one. They argue that II they do not work
the loss Is theirs forgetting that the heaviest loser by
their dleness Is the owner Of the land Nor are the
planters wholly bamcless hazard the assertion
that 10000 bales OF cotton win be left In the
fields ungathered In Georgia, Alabama and Florida
the present year. On many OF the plantations where
the caterpillars particularly destructive nom
thirty to fifty pounds per Of the staple can be
obtained, but not the slightest EFFORT II being made to
gather 1t. know Of one gentleman In Alabama who
has 100 acres which win Yield probably twelve
bales the cotton gathered and yet be informed
me that he would not trouble himself about it. II
the negroes chose to pick II they could do so and
have 1t for themselves. He was endeavorng TO sell
his plantation, dishesrtcned was he at the heavy
| loss he had sustained. Add there are many such
cases in the South
10 sum up the injury done to the crop the follow
ing estimate wi think, be found tolerably correct.
In Georgia three-eghths OF the cotton planted has
been destroyed; In Alabama the same; In Florida
two-eiehths in Mississippi the same; in south Caro-
lima three-eghths: In Louisiana two-eishths; In Ar
kansas and Tennessee the same; In Texas one
eighth. In North Caroline and Virginia but little
cotton IA grown and In those States the damage has
been trining.
ESTIMATE or The PRESENT cRor.
TO form fair estimate Of the probable yield this
year u win BE- necessary to take glance ~ the last
crop. The ascertaineh yield Of 1915 was - fol-
lows EN
States. HA B0Iex
Louisiana. s5e231
Alabama ...................... 3601o3
Texas..... ................ ............. l1lo00
Florida. M05p
Georgia. ...................... l0600S
South Carolina 240225
North Carolina. 38De7
Virginia 1e7,4s7
Tennessee, 6c.... ...................... 374,s60