The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-09-29
The Yasoo Bottom Region.
SOME REFLECTIONS on 7Hr corroy
Producing QUESTION.

=
: Prof Hilgard, formerly professor in the
University of Mississippi and Geologisl
of the State, was selected to take charge
OF the subject of the cotton production
IN the late census. He has presented
some interesting statistics of the capaei-
) ty and possibilities of the Yazoo bottom
J region in the production Of cotton. He
says it is capable of producing five-sixths
the whole average cotton crop Of the
United States. The whole crop last
year, an unusually large one. was about
| 10000 bales; the average crop for
several years past has been between
/ 100000 and 5000, 900 bales. Mr..
Hlgard informs US that if all the cot
ton lands in the Yazoo bottom were
brought under the present inefficient
cultivation, they would yield 1850, 900
bales, and that with improved cult
vation the production could be easily
brought up to 5000. 900 bales; and thus
with similar Improvement in the Gull
ture of the uplands, the State of Missis
sippi alone could produce the entire crop
now grown in the United States" Upon
this statement the ST. Louis Republican
makes some observations that are worthy
of serious consideration 1t notes the
fact that there are thirteen Safes and
one territory now engaged to greater
or less extent in cotton planting, six of
them devoted almost exclusively to it,
and yet their whole average crop might
be raised on the little Yaz0o district
alone, constituting about one-fourth the /
State of Mississippi. In proof of this
assertion, Prof. Hilgard mentions the
fact that "fully 1000 pounds of lint /
cotton, over two bales, has been re- +
peatedly picked off an acre ofthe chuck
shot soil of the Yazoo bottom" We /
have an enormous waste of labor and
money in requiring thirteen States to
produce crop which the single State
of Mississippi could produce under
thorough cultivation Washington coun-
ty, Mississippi, is the county that turns
out the greatest number of bales per
annum-54, S73-and yet, if the cotton
plantations of that county were cultiva-
ted, they would yield 100000 bales
and if all the cotton lands of the county
were brought under thorough system
Of tillage, the crop would be 200, 900
lies. The cotton crop of 1879 was
!, 737 900 bales, raised on 4,441 900
lcres--a little over one-third of bale :
% the acre. And yet, it appears that
The yield in Pemiscot county, Missouri, ,
me Of the extreme northern counties
IT the cotton belt, was three-quarters of d
| bale to the acre-a product which \
Prof. Hilgard attributes to the fact Il
hat the cotton farms in Pemiscot coun- q:
y are carefully cultivated by white G
abor. If the whole Gotten region were II
o do as well as this Missouri county. :,
he crop would be increased from 1877 a
100 bales to 10,S3O,0 600 bales and if d
he whole region were to do as we'll as
'hicot county. Arkansas, (94 of bale ca
D the acre. the total crop of the coun- b'
~ would be increased to 10, $50 900 b'
ales. Gu
Such an enormous crop as this would tt
robably overt'x the capacity of the of
orld to consume it, and break down the of
ice of cotton to point at which it pl
'uld not be raised at profit But in sti
e end this would be an advantage, an
zee it would lead to an abandonment liza
cotton planting in the thin uplands of nc nc
e South, and the devotion of those
nds to other crops, while cotton plant
g would be confined to the rich bot VIC
n districts, where alone it can be raised 20
profit. the