The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-09-12
THE COTTON OUTLOOK.

bad Weather, Bsg worms and Rass
Doing Much Dnmass 20 the Cotton
Crop-An Estimated Loss Of nosH TWEEN
ty 10 Forty Per Cent. on the 6ofsfeS
Estimates Of the Total Yield for the
Season, and still Losing.
ST. LOTS, Sept. 6.-!The Globe Demo-
crat, summarizing the reports of its
special correspondents In the cotton
region, says:
ssThe cotton repsfts from correspond.
ents this week are even less fsvofable
than those Of last: They vary only ir
the estimated amount 6f damage done
and in the causes of the danaFg. In
one section worms. in another rust, Id
others wet weather. cold weather or
drought, and in some WORMS, rust and
bad weather combined have PISsed
havoc with the crop. Few and
far between are the reports that
may be considered at all favor
able The weather appears to have
bseti the principal destructive agent
In the Mississippi valley states the cold
weather of last ttsek has Continued
turning yellow the fields that ten days
ago were fresh and green and causing
serious shedding. In the southeastern
states it was the Vet .-estber and in
Texas the lack Of rain that did tte mis-
chief. The bell worms are now alni0ss
omniprcsent, and have greatly assisted
the weather in reducing the crop pros
poets while rust has been an important
auxiliary. The Most favorable report
from Texas states that the yisld for that
particular section will equal last Jeafss
Reports to this effect come from five
points in that state. But the great ma
jority estimate decrease in the pros
pective yield ranging all the way from
Is to so per cent. Several correspond
ents say the yield has been cut short
fully une.hnlf during the last two weeks
by the drought and worms. In Louis
lana considerable OF the top crop and
some of the middle crop is said TO have
been lost by shedding. The rust has
done great damage, and some destruc-
ton by worms is reported. The sudden
changes in the weather from wet to dry,
and from hot to chilly, are responsible
for the shedding. The loss is placed at
from 30 to 40 per cent The average
damage In Mississippi is probably not
snder 20 per cent. The most favorable
report places it at 10, while the majority
OF the correspondents estimate the dam
age done at from 20 to 50per cent Mis-.
sissippi. indeed, seems to have suffered
more. taking the state as whole, than
any other state. The cold weather,
rust and worms are the evils against
which the crop has played losing
game. The reports from Arkansas are
not all unfavorable, strictly speaking,
but they are less favorable than former
ly. Pine Bluff reports the middle crop
almost entirely destroyed, but says
the crop in that section will be
within or 10 per cent. OF that OF
last year. The other points in that
state report loss, more or less serious,
from worms. shedding and rust, the
cool weather being mainly RESPONSE
BILE for the damage. In Tennes-
see the chilly weather has turned the
plant brown and caused considerable
shedding, and the same agency has
changed the conditions In northern
Alabama, which last week sent In good
reports. This week rust and shedding
have materially reduced the crop pros
poets in tina: section, while in the
southern part of the state the drought
has reduced the estimates fully 25 per
cent. The outlook in Georgia, the Car
olinas and Florida is no more encourage
ing. the reports from those states all
being unfavornbtc,"