The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-09-14
TIE GEORGIA COTTON oCTLooK.
Terrible Effects Of the Recent Storms
Upon the Crops.

Terrible Effects Of the Recent storms
Upon the Crops.
Editorial Correspondence Of Macon Telegraph ]
CUTHBERT, GA, September IL.
Three terrible gales within month have
lashed and inundated the Atlantic coast. car
rying havoc aud ruin to sea island cotton aud
rice crops, while the interior has been swept
BY deluging rains, and railroads, bridges and
valley crops have succumbed to the food.
CONDITION OF THE COTTON.
The cotton plants straggle forth forlorn and
miserable, amid the muddy and halt-suo-
merged fields, and their heecy burden has
either disappeared, or hangs stained and In
tatters upon the parent stock. All concedcd
that cold and wet seasons In early spring. fol-
lowed by q rush of grass, lazy freedmen, and
the Sahara.like drought which succeeded, had
reduced to beggarly figure the expectations
of the planter. But the storm fend appearing
again and again upon the scene, mas at ienssa .I.
given the coup de grace to the crop. Very
little Is left for the ravages OF the lnsatlate
worm, which has appeared of late like the
camp followers of hest, to Kill the wounded
and rob the dead. 60 put your houses ID
order We future delivery" vampires. ard pre-
pare for graceful financial suosidence.
PLANTERS, STAND FIRM.
And now we can sonly counse! our sturdy
farmers who literally bear upon their snou.ders
the fortunes and veal OF the whole country,
to resist the opportunities and sensation
stories of interested cotton buyers. The COT
ton in sight at this time exceeds only 0v
about 200 600 bales the amount reported last
wear, though the crop reached nearly 4,50O, :
600 bales. Again. we shall have the looms OF
France. Belgium and Germany Ia the arena,
and clamoring for the raw material, and It
must be remembered also that the aEnua! con-
sumption of the great staple ever Stead? ~
creases.
PAY YOUR DEBTS
as soon a&ossible therefore, and to sustain
your fair name and reputation. deliver the last
bale that has been pledged or hypothecated
for advances and plantation supplies, and
then pack and store your crops, anG ca'n!y
await the issue. When receipts fal! OIL. aud
the fact begins to be patent to the cotton lords
OF Manchester and Liverpool that there Is no
cry of wolf in the reports OF meagre yield,
we shall witness grand and most salutary re-
action In prices, which will 60 far to compen-
safe the dsheartened husbsndmaa TOR MS
bootless toll.
Cotton, About Face-Forward, Double
Quick, March!
Under the above heading, Mr.. J. S. VIM
bish writes to the Macon Telegraph:
In giving this order to cotton do it because
its ranks have already been thinned by the
terrible onsers Of an unpropitious season. and
because the merciless middle-men. who stand
ready to decoy the few remaining bales which
may escape from the cavages OF drought and
storm, will surely lmprson these gallant oales,
and make them pay an enormous ransom. De-
fore they escape from their cruel clutches.
Now If these gallant two million bales of cot.
ton. which have passed through six or seven
battles for dear life, had help from the farmer,
they would surely be highly valued by all man
kind. Middle-men do not concede as yet that
so few bales will really come to them Tor spec
uation, and If the farmer would rally to the
rescue to-day aud stand firm in favor OF high
price for cotton, cottoG would reward them by
facing about and marching In an onward and
upward course, until its full value was conce-
ded by all the world.
Let us review briefly the terrible conflicts
through which cotton has passed, and surely
all who are acquainted with the nature OF cot,
ton will marvel that even 10000 bales should
survive and finally make an appearance be-
fore the expectant world. We Will SPEAK oy
authority and frem experience.
Firstly. At least five or six hundred thou
sand bales were sliced of at once IN the oe-
ginning, through the lack OF stimu!ants IN the
shape OF manure and fertilizers;
Secondly. The spring was early and the seed
were not planted as early as they should have
been on account of wet weather. This. coupled
with cold rains in May while the cotton was
Young and tender, thinned out the stand con-
Thirdly. Constant rains from the 3oth Of
Nav until the 18th Of June. held it in check
from the tact that General Green (its enemy
was active while cotton was needing, help
from the plough and hoe, and blessed sun
shine from heaven.
Fourthly. After the rain the mat OF grass
formed over the ground had to be destroyed;
then came into the field the most unrelenting
enemy to young cotton plants-the negro with
sharp hoe In hand. These hewed and hacked
1t In all kinds OF style until, In many places,
there were only left here and there stalk,
like battle.scarred veterans on hard.fousht
field, keeping sentinel.
Fifthly. Having been hacked down By the
remorseless hoe until wide gaps stood bare.
the dry and parching drought set in. and did
up the stalks In very small packages. NOW
these were severe conflicts, and alone would
have cut off many bales OF cotton IN any
season, but taken all In one season VINO can
no means Since the drought has been
followed by successive storms. the little stalks
ofcotton (having no hold upon the earth on
account OF such .ong dry spelD make an at.
tempt to grow, and thousands OF acres iai! and
drop the leaves from the plant, and the plant
withers up to the roots. Again, thousands OF
acres, possessed of clay foundation, receive
new life from the rains. and shaving of all
forms and young bolls not firmly set. put out
an abundant growth of leaves greatly to the
injury ofthe maturing bolls-shutting out the
light of the sun so essential TO the full eXpau-
sion of the boil and growth OF the fibre.
And again, the storms nave come just IN the
beginning OF the picking season, and all the
first opening is more or less lost or injured.
To day storm Is raging with deluges OF rain,
which bids fair to submerge all bottom LANDS.
have not seen such fall of rain, accompa-
MED BY such winds, since 1855.
And Is this the last battle-this terrible
storm of wind and rain-which the poor, dect.
mated ranks of the cotton plant have to con-
tend with? fear not. An early frost may
confidently be expected to cap the climax OF
its caamlties. All signs now indicate an early
fall. I look for frost in September and Ice in
October. Well, it piece Is bit out OF the crop
by the cold weather, we may conhdentiy ex'
pect "dogtails" of this crop to bring more
than the best sea island of last crop brought.
This last calamity may be Withneid, out II
would not be as great as eitner winch nave
already befallen US. -,.,
Now, though cotton may not move up with
alacrity from its present unfavorable posltlon,
and bring price to make up tor the lack IN
supply, yet were the farmers all to stand nrm
and immovable the price would eventually i'm
prove 80 as to indemnify them In part for the
losses sustained through the entire year. This
crop of cotton, with the exception OF ferfll-
zers, has cost as much to produce it as the
crop of last season. The gathering and carry