Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-13

Owing, undoubtedly, to the concentration
Of eotson culture upon the most fertile
lands, and from the fact that the area Of
production embracss almost exclusively the
highly fertile loWlsnds lying at the head of
the great "St. Francis bottom" In the
southeastern corner of the State, Missouri
stands at the head of the list in
average yield per acre, producing
60-100 OF a bale (of ATS pounds) to
the acre. Arkansas comes second, and
produces It's 6069SO bales, on somewhat
over million of acres, making the average
product per acre 5S-100. By far the greater
portion of the cotton produced comes from
the eastern and southern portions of the
State, which contain a large proportion Of
bottom lands, while in the extreme northern
and northwestern counties but little cotton
fs grown. The Census Department figures
indicate that the average production of cot
ton per acre, In 1879, in Louisiana. was
So 100 Of bale; in Mississippi, 46 100; in
Georgia, 3l-100; in Alabama, 80 100, and in
Florida, % 100.
The great State of Texas stands third in
the list of total production, while first IN
population among the cotton States proper,
but ninth Ia yield per acre-37-1C0 Of a
bale. This latter fact may surprise some
persons, but fs In part accounted for as an
accident Of the season, the year of 1879
having been an unusually dry one, and
try In which so large proportion of the
staple is grown on the upland soil. Among
these, the heavy black prairie soils, so high
" productive In favorable seasons, are no
tOriously the first to suffer from drought.
In ordinary seasons the average yield in
Texas would approach that Of Mississippi or
South Carolina. The returns show that 81
per cent. Of the cotton product Of Texas
is grown In the northeastern portion of the
State-north of thirty second parallel and
east of the ninety eighth meridian, and that
within this region the production is highest
10 the counties adioi0ing Red river, the
product averaging 40 100 Of bale per acre.
Southwark Of the thirty second parallel the
average yield is 34-100 per acre. The coast
counties produce but little cotton-inland,
between Red river and San Antonio, about
S5 per cent. Of the total product is grown on
black prairie land, the average product per
acre on such land being lin 1879 81 100 Of
bale per acre. Within the last dt C lde the
region of cotton production has ex ended
seventy-fiVe miles westward
Mississippi stands first in product, sixth
in population and In yield per acre. Twenty
seven per cent. Of the cotton product of the
State comes from the Yszoo bottom, while
over one half OF the whole is produced in
what might be termed the first class uplands,
viz; the tabls-land belt bordering the Mis-
sissippl bluff, and the two prairie belts. The
high production is due to the fact that quite
one half of its territory is occupied by soils
Of exceptional fertility, and the fact that It
is the one pursuit to which the population
devotes itself.
Georgia stands slightly ahead of Ala
bama's average cotton product per the acre.
The inference, from a careful study Of the
detailed figures, is that while Mississippi ie
still partly within the period Of the fret flush
Of fertility, and Georgia has reached the
stage when the use Of fertilizers is renovat-
ing her fields, the soils Of Alabama have
passed the hrst stage, and her population
has not yet realized the necessity of sus-
tanning the soils powers by fertilization.
The cotton production OF Tennessee is
concentrated upon a comparatively small
area Of highly productive land, and this
fact accounts for the yield Of 46-1OO
OF a bale per the acre. The cases
OF the two Carolinas, with respect to cotton
production. are nearly alike. 10 both States
the average cotton product per acre is high,
as compared with that Of Georgia and Ala
bama, and. in the case OF North Carolina,
approaches that of Mississippi itself; North
Carolina, A 100, and South Carolina, 3S 100
per acre.
The following table will show the re
markable increase Of the cotton product In
the last decade: