The Forrest City times., 1893-09-29
ARKANSAS COTTON.

Have Conversed With well-Known and
 We'll Informed Cotton Men-Estimates
 that Vary From S5O,OOO to 50O,O0O Bales
 for the State.
 The St. Louis Globe Democrat of the 26th contained review of the cotton crop of Arkansas. The following Is from the Little Rock correspondent:
 The excessive hot weather and abundant sunshine has benefited the growing cotton plant, which is opening very fast Worms have ap- peared in large numbers in various portions of the state, and are doing great damage. The counties affected most are St. Francis, Phillips, Pulaski, Woodruff. Chicot Drew and Polk. Cotton experts say about one-third of the crop in those localities has been destroyed by boil and army worms alone. In Pulaski county, one of the largest cot on-producing sections of the state, the worms have appeared only in the bot tom or river lands, and in every in stance played havoc with the top crop Reliable estimates place the yield in this county at one-third bale to the acre. The most discouraging re- ports come from the northwest por- tion of the state. In the greater portion of this section cotton will be very poor. In St. Francis and Woodruff counties worms are very bad in many places. In Craig head county, however, late cotton is looking we'll, and if no early frost oc- CUTS there will be good yield. In the southwest portion of the state the crop has greatly deteriorated during the past ten days. In nearly all portions of this section worms are destroying all the plant, Calhoun, Lafayette and Montgomery counties alone escaping the destructive work. Cotton gener- ally will be very short of an average, caused by drought, worms. rust and blight. In the more southern counties it is opening rapidly, and picking has become general. while in the northern counties but very little has opened.
 MAKING ESTIMATES.
 The crop of 1892 fell far below the average, the total yield being only about 6oo,0OO bales. This year, while it will still be below the average, will greatly surpass that of last season. The correspondent visited the cotton men of Little Rock in search of infor nation on the subject and found di- versity of opinions. Mir. James Joyce, of the firm of James E. Joyce & Co.,, one of the most reliable firms in the city, said, in his opinion, the total yield this season would not exceed 700,000 bales. Mir. c. F. Bancum, who is also considered reliable authority, says it will reach $50, ,0O0 bales. Several we'll known planters also disagree as to this years yield in the state. A majority say Arkansas will produce between 750, 900 and 800, 900 bales. Up to date but little cotton has been brought to prepared to handle the feecy staple in any quantities
 The Pine Blun Correspondent.
 The hot and dry weather during the last three weeks, the ravages of the sharpshooters, boil and army worms, combined with the effect of rust and blight, have played havoc with the cot ton in this state. In this immediate section, the most important in Arkan- sas, where the prospects for an average crop were very fiattering two weeks authorities that the yield on slightly increased acreage will be but 15 per cent over that of last season, which was an extraordinarily disastrous one owing to two floods. reducing the amount of cotton handled in this market to 33, ,O00 bales, when it was 91, ,000 the previous year, and averaged 75,0O0 for the four preceding seasons.
 SOME ESTIMATES.
 As the reports secured by the Globe Democrat correspondent from the most prominent cotton factors and buyers are in some respects materially con- flicting, it is difficult to more than ap- proximately indicate the probable re- suit of the crop Mr. w. R. Alexander, of the Gillespie & Bro company, states that in this vicinity during the last two weeks one-third of the crop in the low lands had been ruined by worms, and one-fourth in the uplands by dry weather, rust and blight. He estimates an increase in the yield of 30 per cent over last season on an increased acreage of 10 per cent. and states that cotton is ten days earlier than last year.
 MT. P. P. Byrd, of the J. F. Spear company, who has information from a wide territory, expresses the belief that worms have cut off the yield in this section fully 30 per cent, and that the crop would be barely one-half of an average one on an increased acreage of per cent. He believes it will be