The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-08-21

Now that the State Democratic
convention has settled who shall be
our next State officers, the one great
and absorbing question before the
public is-what are the prospects OF
the cotton crop?
This is not matter OF anxiety
to the farmer only, but to
every citizen of the State, as the
prosperity and happiness of the whole
people to q very large degree depend
upon the success of this great South
ern crop. The merchant and the
professional man, the speculator and
financier, may put on big style and
pose as superior beings but they have
all to acknowledge that they are de-
pendent on the farmer and that
without his aid their commercial
schemes and airy speculations would
come to naught. Thus it is that the
farmer is now man of Importance
and his opinion is eagerly sought as
to the present condition and future
prospect of the staple.
If he does not have bales to sell, his
debts, if he has any, will remain I'M
paid.
His purchases will be curtailed and
the whole commerce OF the country
will shrink to the disadvantage OF
very5ody.
AS statistical correspondent for the
department at Washington, it is my
duty to inquire into and report con-
dition of all crops in this county, and
have to familiarize myself with the
character of crops in every section of
the county. 1t is often difficult to ar
rive at anything like a correct esti-
mate, as crops vary as widely as the
regions in which they are grown, and
sometimes they are so consistently
good or bad that no mistake can be
made. For example, the oat crop was
the same over the whole country, but
when it comes to cotton the most con-
flicting reports are made. One farmer,
who has worked his cotton well and
been favored with timely rain, tells
that he expects to make from three
fourths to a bale to the acre, while
another who missed the local shower,
despondingly declares he won't make
more than a quarter.
There is always tendency to exag-
geration. The optimist finds when
his accounts are squared up that his
crop fell considerably short of bale
to the acre, and the pessemist is agree
ably disappointed that he made
nearly half bale. While the long
dry spell has cut the crop short in
this section, | feel sure that it will
prove to be larger than most farmers
are inclined to estimate.
II is matter of remark with all en-
gagged in cotton growing that they
never knew cotton to go through so
long term of dry weather with so
little injury. Such is the fact. What
is the reason? l think there are sew
eral causes, the principle one being a
more thorough and intelligent system
of cultivation. The agricultural press,
as we'll as the daily and weekly
papers like THE STATESMAN, have per-
sistently advocated the employment
of improved methods.
AS far as my observation extends
cotton never before received such good
cultivation.
Farmers have wakened up to the
Importance of thorough and clean cul-
tivation and as the season has
been favorable to its practice
every cotton field Is clean and
uncracked, being covered with mulch
of fine loose soil, with the result of fair
average crops where rank failure
would have prevailed under the old
system,
Another conspiring cattse Is the use
of better seed In planting. Some
varieties Of cotton stand dry weather
much better than Others and cotton
planters are using discretion in the
selection OF seed. 1t is wise to plant
very early quality that will beat the
drouth, or one with drouth resisting
qualities.
i have discovered what l believe to
be the best of both kinds. AS an
early cotton jenkins Tennessee Gold
Dust will be hard to equal and harder
still to beat. 1t natures in 100 days
from planting. AS drouth defer,
"Peterkin" is without a rival. Ny
"Peterkin" is growing squainy, bloom
ing and fruiting right along and has
never shown any bad effect from the
lack of rain and as it gives
better out-turn at the gin than
any other 1 have tried, it
is in spite of some drawbacks
worthy the attention OF planters.
The foregoing and other causes will
bring the yield of the county nearer
an average than is generally supposed,
at least such is the humble opinion OF
the writer.
COTTON WORMS.
The season has so far not been fav-
orable to the development of worms,
though they have put in an appear