Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-05-05

may almost be said to be in its infancy.
According to the latest returns, however,
fcom the central provinces, the cot
ton crop of the present ,eason
from that part of the country is likely to
be both bad in quality and deficient IN
quantity, Notwithstanding the increased
area cultivated. The increased produce
of the Northwestern Provinces-nearly
double that of the previous year-may
help TO make up the bulk of the crop TO
the same quantity as last year, but the
best Indian cotton is the produce OF the
Central Provinces, and a deterioration in
its quality is likely TO prejudice the other
descriptions of Indian cotton. n cot
tonerop in the Central Provinces has suf-
ferad during the past year from sew
ersl causes-damp, rain, red fly snd
the boil worm being the principal.
The damp and rainy weather in
December. lust as the plants were
in boil and in blossom, spoiled
the color and knocked off the blossoms
More rain followed at the beginning Of
the wear, and again on the 18th of } January,
which further increased the damage al
ready done. During the damp weather
the process Of cotton cleaning is also
stopped. and by this delay the color is in
iured. In many parts the cultivatOrs es-
innate the loss of the crop at fifty per
cent, but Mr.. Rivett Carnac is inclined to
take a more favorable view of the out
turn. The c~ultivators, he says, spread
these reports to raise the price, and
MANY of them are row in a position
to be able to hold their produce until
prices rise; and as this is generally the
case toward the close Of the season,
il accounts for the quantity already sent
to market being so much smaller than at
this time of last year. Up to the end of
January the amount sent forward was
only 1891 bales, against 70,l75 in 1869.
Although there may be some force in MIR.
Carnac's Argument, it appears just as
probable thst the deficiency in the crop
has had as great an effect as the desire for
high prices for the returns from all the
districts are unfaVorable, and Mr.. Carnac
will not venture to give an estimate of
the probable out-turn. What the bOrer
is to tie coffee planter, and the
shenka polka TO the rice grower, the
boil worm appears 10 lie TO the
cotton grower. 1t prefers corn, but if
corn is not available II attacks the cotton;
q I'd as the corn Drop is generally carried
before the cotton crop, 1t always has TO
fall back on the latter. Like the boreT
and shenka polka, it is also extremely diff
fcult to get rid Of-in fact, the only rem
edy suggested appears to be to let the
land remain idle for a year, exposed to
the sun aEd rain, which destroys the eggs.
Another peculiarly Z! the worm is that
in a wet season 1t attacks tine indigenous
plants, and in a dry season the exotic va
-ieties, &c each description is under
sneciai circumstances the weaker.
In America all sorts of de-
vices, ouch as planting alternat5
strips of corn aud cotton, keeping the for
meT at a distance from the lstter, plow-
ing up the ground several times, and eE-
posing tempting bats in the shape of mo-
tasses, cobalt and vinegar mixed, have
been tried, but without success. The
only remedy sppesr1 70 be that prescribed
for the shenka poka-tO bum The affected
crop on the ground, and let the gfounn
lie falloW for q certain time. This is more
than the c~uitiYat0Ts csp afford, and the
Commissioner Should encourage
any experiments likely to eradicate this
pest of the soften growers.