Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-10-20
FROM the Mon thly Report of the Department
OF Agriculture.
The Cotton Crop in the CarOlinas.

No cotton crop reports purporting 10
have come from the Department of Agri-
culture during the past month have been
genuine. The items in circulation, often
contradictory In tenor, assumed to be eff
cial, have had no origin in the stati istical
data of this Office. The returns of August
and September include reports from about
four hundred cotton growing counties,
| representing very large proportion Of
the cotton area. Those for August point
to an average condition of the crop. al
most Identical with that @: the preceding
report, the averages for Alabama and Mis-
sissippi being the same those of Louisi-
ana, Alkalsas and Tenne ssee being high
er, and those of the other cotton States
| being lower. The State average of the
September report are sOmew bat lower than
those of August, though the principle de-
probation occurs in states which yield 8
small proportion of the crop, while the
reduction is slight in the district repre-
| sent, by the States OF Ge'rgia. Alabama,
Mississippi, and Louisiana. Tho per
centage of full condition, as averaged from
| all attalnable data, is thus stated North
Carolina, 80 South Carolina, so; Geor-
gia, IS; Florida. rs; Alabama, 50; Mis-
sissippi, 80; Louisiana, II; Texas, 80 /;
Arkansas, 80 Tenne ssee. 90.
There are reports of il uries by the boil
worm and caterpiller, manly in Mississippi
and Louisiana, but no evidence that q
general or very serious loss from insects is
probable. Rust Is common in the Atlantic
States, and to some extent on the Gulf
coast. Drought has been injurious in the
CaIolinas and in Texas, though the reports
of rain fall through the South indicate
fair supply of moisture the distribution OF
which has been somewhat more unequal
than usual. At one point in Georgia the
fall in August was nearly fC Curteen inches,
and in parts of Florida it amounted to
twenty-three inches. These variable at
mospheric conditions have increased the
prevalence Of rust, AID cansed the destruc-
ton both Of leaves and fruit. These draw
backs, though greater than those reported
in September OF last year, are not su1li-
ciently serious to excite approximations of
greatly deprecated yield. They are re-
ported eacl. year in some portions OF the
cotton area. In the record of last year
there was considerable complaint of dam
age to the cotton crop from rust, worms
and unfavOrable August weather"
These facts do not pOiut to an onlarge-
ment OF tho expectation hitherto indulged.
If they are reliable. the most favorable
season could scarcely bring q crop exceed
ing three and one-third millions of bales;
if the growing season should be t>Ort or
unfavorable, three millions would be
good result. With combination of nnfa-
vorable circumstances, the product might
be still further reduced.
The local history of the crop makes O
wonderfully variable record. Storms have
wrought injury at one point. and drought
has been noticeably severe in neigh-
boring county; an average healthfnl-
ness and growth ave reported at one point
near to which comparative desolation ap-
pears to reign. One field or district may
have a deep and well-prepared soil. with
clean after-cnlture, and be able to defy
ordinary drought ; another is thin and
poor, imperfeotiy cultivated. and over
grown with neglected grass OF weed, pro-
missing comparative failure. Fully five
sixths of the returns represent Condition
below 1OO"
The following extracts from correspond
ence-representing o very small proportion
of the returns used in the tabular state
ment, and including those most unfavora-
ble-illustrate these differences
Mecklenburg County. N. C.-In some
sections of the county no rain since the
18th of May. One farmer, who raised 20
bales last year, planted more acres this
year and will not pick over two bales
Several others in the neighborhood will DO
no better. The plants are 10 to "a inches
high. The boIls and forms fall off from
extreme dry weather. One of our best
farmers last year averaged 800 pounds of
seed.cotton per acre on one OF his fields.
He used 200 pounds of Mapes' superphos-
phate to the acre. This year he used the
same amount, and the same field will av-
erage 275 to 200 pounds with favorable
fall. Up to July l we never had a better
prospect I think We cannot possibly raise
half crop in the county. Farmers all
discouraged.
Bladen County, n. C.-The average
condition has deteriorated 40 per cent.
since July l, and the crop promises a
worse showing two or three weeks hence.
The drought, extending from the last of
June TO the middle of August, stopped
growth, the cold snap of July II started
the rust, and the cold spell of August 16
to 25, and the steady showers with no snn-
shine, increased it, aud it has now run
over nearly all the cotton; the leaves are
off, the stalks are dead or dying, and the
immature bolls are rapidly opening. The
prospect now is for about half the crop
expected July l.
Green County, N. Crust since last
report, and in some portions of the county
the crop is almost total failure. Two
thirds of the crop is all that can be expect
ed, with the prospect Of not doing as well
as that. Since the unusually cool weather
of July the plant has done next to moth
ing; all the forms and many Of the bolls
that have come since August l have drop
ped. The picking season will end thirty
days earlier Ihan las: year.
Duplin county, N. O.--Rust appeared
the fist week in August, and rapidly
spread over the entire crop, stopping
growth, and causing the squares to fall eff.
Very little cotton has been made since
August Is, and but for the unusually fA
volable spring and early summer, not one
half an average crop would have been
made.
CASTOR county, n. O.-Cut short OF a
critical age, and will not recover. Esti-
mate, seven-tenths.
Sampson county. N. C.-The crop did
not suffer much until three weeks ago,
when the rust set in and has very much
injured the crop. The estimate is four
fifths of an average product. and sou,e
think this too high.
BERTHE county, n. Crust has damaged
cotton. and the dry weather OF last month
has caused it to shed its forms and small
hOl1a