Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-04-05

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The unusual length of the season for ma
turing is given very generally as an impor-
tant factor for increased production. Late
growth was so vigorous in portions of the
area cultivated that much immature cotton
was destroyed by the frost, notwithstanding
the lateness Of the season. This destruction
of green bolls was comparatively heavy in
Edgecomb, n. c., in Franklin, Hale and
Lawrence, Ala, in NoXubee and Benton,
Miss, and in Bienville and Point Coupe,
La. Wherever growth was most luXuriant
and the yield heaviest, this apparent loss
was greatest. In Macon and Warren, Ga,
the crop was shortened by ySeptembers storms
On the Red River and in northern Texas
there was loss of cotton and injury to sta
pie by rains in picking the top crop. AS a
whole the season was unusually unfavora-
BILE. These returns make the crop % per
cent. larger than the census crop Q879,) and
nearly per cent. larger than the great crop
of $780,, Heretofore these direct returns of
product by county estimates have usually
been somewhat less than the records of the
commercial movement in the following
year. The statistician scrutinizes them
carefully, excludes manifest erroneous fig
ures, (of which there are somein all returns,
whether official or unofficial, estimates or
census enumerations, cOrrects such errors
as may readily be detected and reviews the
whole work but he cannot arbitrarily
change results, even though the verify Of
these returns of the product prove con-
servative, as usual, the movements would
not be less than 100000 bales. The public
and the cotton trade have had the depart
ment returns of the season honestly render
ed, Which have been, perhaps, unusually
consistent, and must deduce from them
their own conclusions as to area, quantity
and quality of the crops. The relative in
crease in product from 1879 to 1882 is not
equal in the different States, because some
of these had greater than average produc-
ton in 1879, and some, Texas particularly,
had an average yield per acre much lower
than usual The returns are nearly unani-
nous in declaring the staple longer than
trash. A few report shorter staple. In
parts of Georgia there was some less Of quail
ity from storms, and the late picking of the
Southwest was injured by frost and rain.
The amount of lint produced in proportion
to seed is reported greater than usual in half
to two-thirds of all returns, excepting in
Virginia and Missouri, where a majority
report the usual average yield. In very
few counties is the rate of yield less than
average. The average quantity Of lint in
100 pounds Of seed cotton, as fixed by for
mer investigations, is but 32 pounds, but
this year there is a considerable range of
difference, most of which would be covered
by the minimum of % pounds and the max
imum of 36. There have been returns of
even wider range than this under eXtraor-
dinary circumstances. The marketing of
the crop is most advanced in Florida, GeOr-
gia and South Carolina, but one-siXth re-
NAMED on hand at the end of 1882, in Ala
bama, Mississippi and Texas, one-fourth in
Louisiana, and in Arkansas, Tennessee and
Missouri the proportion is somewhat greater.
From these returns it is proable that about
II per cent. Of the. crop was unmarketed
February 1. The date of finishing the har-
vest, reported for each county, varies from
November to February. The average for
each State is: Florida, December GeOr-
gia, December 8; South Carolina, Decem-
ber II Alabama, December 12 Tennessee,
December II Mississippi, December 1S !;
North Carolina, December %; Louisiana,
January 4, Texas, January g.; Arkansas,
January9. The caterpillar was present in
three-fOurths of the counties of Texas and
Louisiana and in tWo-thirds of those of Mis-
sissippi, Alabama and Florida. The de-
StructiOn was less general in Georgia and
Arkansas. The injury was everywhere
slight, and, with few exceptions, was not
appreciable in Virginia, North Carolina,
Tennessee or Missouri. The loss is calcula-
ted at about per cent. in Louisiana, in
Texas, u in Mississippi, Alabama and.Flor-
ida, and Fin Georgia. 1t probably amounts
to $4,000 or $4,000 bales in all. The returns
of destruction of cotton by the caterpillar
and boil worm cannot be regarded as pre-
else, but, from very full local estimates, it
is believed that the following summary will
approximate the losses:
South Carol ina .......... Bales DESTROYED 49, 600