The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-06-09
Cotton Acreage.

The Memphis Avalanche makes an es-
innate of the acreage of cotton planted
the present season, which we reproduce
as follows:
In presenting to our readers The annual
report on the acreage of cotton planted
for the present season, we trust that our
first attempt may prove to those engaged
in the cotton trade sufficiently interest
ing as to induce us to continue in future
years. While preparing this report we
have enumerated the acreage for the past
two years, figures of which have been
handed to us from as reliable a source as
can possibly be obtained. 1t would be
well to remark right here that in several
cases, owing to the recent overflow OF the
Mississippi river, we have been obliged
to accept estimates of acreage likely to be
put under cultivation in several counties
during this season, which, if done, we
will report during the next month.
Looking over all the different reports,
which number upward of seven hun
dred we will endeavOr to state
as closely as we can the prospects
of the present crop, at the same
time reviewing those of the last
two years. 1t will be remembered that
during the year 1875 the season opened
under the most favorable auspices posi-
ble With very few exceptions did we
hear of any planting later than the lst of
May, and by that time Texas had already
sufficiently advanced to enable parties to
predict, with some degree of certainty,
the most favorable results of planting.
None the less in Louisiana, Arkansas,
Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, all
of which reported a good stand by the
10th to the 18th of May. We need
scarcely say any more when we state
that the seasonable weather of July and
August, together with a fine fall and
open winter, produced a crop even larger
than that of 1870 and 1871. Comparing
the present planting season with any
previous one, there is probably none we
could draw as closely as the season of the
1874. That season opener with a partial
dry April, wet May and spring over
flow.
1t was not unusual to hear during that
season of planting as late as the 10Th
of June in the Mississippi valley, and In
many cases where such late planting
took place full crop, but in most cases
but half crop was the result. The dry
summer which followed was felt every
where, and proved a disastrous one in
Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and part of
Mississippi, and had it not been for the
good outturn in the At
Iantic states, the probability would have
been that q crop not exceeding three
million five hundred thousand would
have been marketed. We are almost in
clined to think the state of weather and
of this season up TO date
warrants our taking the planting season
of 1874 as a comparison, and adopting
this view we must say that the outlook
to-day is not even as encouraging as that
of 1874. for the reason that Texas and
the Atlantic states are from two to five
weeks backward in planting. This un-
favorable item might only be counter
balanced by the additional acreage this
wear compared with two years ago.
There is probably no section or sections
of the cotton belt more advanced than
those on the upper Arkansas and in Ten
nessee, and it remains to be seen how
they will continue for the balance of the
season.
Allowing every acre of land to be
planted, as it appears in our report, 1t
will be seen at a glance that there is
visible increase of acreage OF a traction
above one-half per cent. compared with
last year, but deducing the estimate as
supplied by our correspondents yet to be
planted, it would show a result of three
and a half per cent. less than last year.
Should the late planting occur such as
took place last year and the year pre-
vious, there can be but little doubt that
the total acreage anticipated yet to be
planted" as shown in our report. will be
planted, while, should the high water of
the Mississippi continue for any length
of time, most of that acreage will have
to be abandoned for cotton planting pur-
poses.