The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-06-24
The Cotton States.
United States Economist.

1 nlteQ states economist.
THE AVERAGE PER ACRE.
Owing, undoubtedly, to the con
centration of cotton culture upon
the most fertile lands, and from the
fact that the area of production en-
braces almost exclusively the highly
fertile low lands In the southwest.
ern corner of the State, Missouri
stands at the head of the list, its
! average yield per acre, producing
90 100 of bale of AIS pounds) to
the acre. Arkansas comes second,
and produces its Cos, $50 bales on
somewhat over 100000 of acres,
making the average product per
acre $500. BY far the greater
portion of the cotton produced
comes from the eastern and south
ern portions of the State, which
contains large proportion of, bottom
lands, while in the extreme northern
and northwestern counties but little
cotton is grown. The census fig
ures indicate that the average pro-
duction of cotton per acre, in 1870,
in Louisiana, was IS 100 of bale:
in Mississippi, 4o 100; in Georgia,
3I-Ioo; in Alabama, 3o-Ioo, and in
Florida, 22-Ioo.
THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS
stands third in the list of total pro-
duction, while first in population
among the cotton States proper, but
ninth in yield per acre, 37-Ioo of
bale. This latter fact may surprise
some persons, but it is accounted for
as an accident of the season, the
year on whose crop the estimate is
based having been an unusually dry
one, and, therefore, especially un.
favorable to country in which so
large proportion of the staple is
grown on the upland soil Among
these, the heavy black prairie soils,
so highly productive in favorable
seasons, are VIGOROUSLY the first to
suffer from drouth. In ordinary
seasons the average yield in Texas
would approach that of Mississippi
or South Carolina. OF the cotton
product of Texas s. per cent is
grown in the northeastern portion
of the State, and within this region
the production is highest in the
counties adjoining Red river, the
product averaging 40 100 of bale
per acre. Southwark of the thirty
second parallel the average Weld is
34-Ioo per acre. The coast coun-
ties produce but little cotton-in.
land, between Red river and San
Antonio, about s. per cent. of the
total product is grown on black
prairie land, the average product
per acre on such land being "a 100
of bale per acre. Within the last
decade the region of production has
extended IS miles westward.
THE FIRST IN PRODUCTION
Mississippi stands first in pro-
duction, sixth in population and in
yield per acre. Twenty-seven per
cent of the cotton product of the
State comes from the Yazoo bottom,
while over half of the rest is pro-
duced in what might be termed the
first class uplands, viz: The table
land bordering the Mississippi bluff
and the two prairie belts. The
high production is due to the fact
that quite one half of its te 'ritory
is occupied by soils of exceptional
fertility, and the fact that it is the
one pursuit to which the popula-
ton devotes itself.
Georgia stands slightly ahead of
Alabama's average cotton product
per the acre. The inference, from
careful study of the detailed figures,
is that whileMississiFpi is still part
~ within the first flush of fertility,
and Georgia had reach I'D the stage
when the use of fertilizer is reno
waiting her fields, the soil of Ala
bama has passed the first stage,
and her population has not real
lied the necessity of sustaining the
soils powers by fertilization.
The cotton production of Ten
nessee is concentrated upon COM
paratively small area of highly pro-
ductive land and this fact accounts
for the yield of 46-Ioo of a bale
per acre. The classes of the two
Carolinas, with respect to cotton
production, is nearly alike. In
both States the average cotton pro-
duct per acre is high, as compared
with that of Georgia and Alabama,
and, in the case OF North Carolina,
approaches that of Mississippi itself.
North Carolina 44-Ioo and South
Carolina $500 per acre.