New Orleans Republican., 1875-10-15
National Cotton Crop Report.

secretary of the New Orleans Cotton Ex-
change, for the following report on the cot
ton crop, made up from the returns OF the
various Exchanges, by the committee on
information and statistics of the New Or
leans Exchange. The report bears date of
October 10, 1875:
NEW ORLEANS DEPARTMENT.
Louisiane.-Sixty-two replies from thirty.
one parishes, average date October !. re-
port the character Of the weather as univer-
sally unfavorable. Heavy storms of wind
and rain have materially damaged the
prospect, say TWENTY-FIVE per cent, by beat
ing out the open cotton and interfering with
the picking, which had generally com
menced throughout the State September |.
Notwithstanding the serious damage al
ready done, causing considerable discour-
agement, and an unprecedented amount of
sickness among the laborers, with favorable
weather heucetorth, the yield as reported
will be but little less than last season.
Arkansas. have received thirty -one
answers from twenty-five counties; the
weather is reported by some as windy and
rainy, while others state that it has been
quite dry; on the whole, il has been moder-
ately favorable Complaints reach US of
damage by rot and rust, principally the latter,
the extent OF which 1t is difficult to correctly
not exceed eight and ten per cent. About
the eighth of September, picking had be.
come general, but vas not progressing as
rapidly as desired. owing to sickness in GER
tain counties, and heavy rains in others.
Nearly all our correspondents agree in say
ing, that with frost at the same time as last
year, the yield will be much greater.
Mississippi Seventy three replies re-
ceived from this State; average date, first
instant Weather almost universally re-
ported as cold, wet and stormy, causing
serious damage TO the crop, estimated at
twenty per cent. Damage mostly by rot
and rust Storms having injured the quality,
while not materially leesening the yield.
Picking was general in first week in Sep
tember, but is progressing slowly, owing TO
wet weather and an unusual prevalence of
sickness among the laborers; the yield, as
compared with last year, with frost at same
time, according to our correspondents, will
barely reach that of last season.
NASHVILLE DEPARTMENT.
In Middle Tennessee, generally the weath-
er has been favorable; rather too cool and
too much rain. In Alabama, too much rain,
but not very damaging until the great
storm of September 16, when the country
was drowned by tremendous fall of rain,
submerging the low grounds and beating
out the opened cotton. Since then. there
have been too many rains and much cool
weather. Ia Tennessee the damage has
been slight-in few cases damages by rain
are repOrted-staining aud dirtying the cot
ton. In Alabama much damage has been
done by storms and by rust. Our CORE
spondents do not give us many figures on
the subject, but We estimate from what we
have that the crop has been damaged at
least ten per cent by the weather since the
twentieth of August, and particularly by
the great storm. The damage was greatest
on the lowlands, which were submerged by
the rain fall. In Tennessee picking
commenced about the twentieth of
September; in Alabama about the
tenth, although in neither State did it
begin fully before the twenty-titth of Sep
tember. 1t is progressing slowly every
where, owing mainly 10 the wet weather.
With frost at the same time as last year,
the yield in Tennessee will be about the
came. The acreage IS somewhat reduced,
hut the yield per acre is increased this year.
In Alabama about ten per cent lees. The
crop in both States lin this Department. is
greatly dependent on the weather for the
next five or sixiweeks. Ii there is fair sea-
son and late trost the crop will be above
the average; with an early killing frost it
will fall twenty-five per cent below. The
crop is about two weeks later than usual,
and picking has progressed very slowly up
to this date, owing 10 wet weather, while
the amount of labor in the river counties of
Alabama has been curtaied by the great
amount of sickness prevailing as this time.
CHARLESTON DEPARTMENT.
South Cdrolina.-Sixty- fl va ans wers from
twenty six counties. generally dated on or
abolt October |. The weather is reported
by nearly One-halt of our correspondents
as being dry and fav orable, while the re-
mainder report dry, followed by wet
weather, heavy rains, cool temperature,
and in one case, light frost. Thirteen re-
port no damage to the crop from rust, rot
or storms, while all the rest report injury,
chiefly from blight or rust, amounting in
many cases from one fourth to Gne-third of
the crop Picking began generally from
the twenty fourth Of August ID the tenth of
September, and ia commonly reported as
progressing very rapidly, even more so than
last year. Many report the crop as being
already gathered 20 the extent Of one-half
to three -tourths, and being as freely sent to
market. With frost at the usual time the
prospective yield indicates falling OFT with
last year OF nineteen and three-quarteIs
per cent. A few correspondents state that
the yield of lint is lees than usual to the
same amount of seed cotton, which is at
tributed to the severe drouth in July.
AUGUSTA DEPARTMENT.
Georgia.-The weather is generally re.
ported as having been very dry and hot up
to to about September Is. Thereafter, to
October !, COO, cloudy and rainy, with an
excessive rainfall in few localities. With
the exception of three counties, and in
many localities, serious damage is reported
by rust, very little by rot, and from three
to five per cent by storms. The rains pre-
valent during the last fifteen days of Sep
tsmber are reported to have impaired the
quality OF the crop, both in grade and
staple. Picking commenced in few coun-
ties. as early as August 20, but did rot be-
come general until about September 5. The
hot weather of the preceding three weeks
having forced open much cotton, rapid
progress was made until the middle of
September, since when rainy weather has
interfered materially. The tenor of great
majority Of our replies indicate that kill
ing frost at the same time as last year, can
not materially affect the yield now in view,
and which is almost unanimously estimated
at less than last. year. 1t may possibly be
reduced about five per cent. The majority
OF our correspondents express the c0uvic-
ton that the yield of this territory will not
reach that of last year, by from fifteen TO
twenty per cent, while many speak of from
twenty-five to thirty per cent. The largest
portion OF the crop is now open, and ready
for picking, and in some few counties, from
0ne-half to two-thirds of the crop is report
ed as already picked. The movement to
market is generally reported as having
hapu DrOmnG fhus far