The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-04-11
10 PER CENT INCREASE.
THE COTTOE ACREAGE HAS NOT DE-
CREASED ONE IOTA,
But Has Increased ly-IndicatiOn
for n Fine Fruit Crop This Year-Truck
Gardens Slightly Impaired.

The first weather crop report of the year
was issued last week by the weather bureau.
Crop reports from all but four counties
Clayton, Mcintosh. Pickens and Twiggs-
are incorporated in the report. which is
valuable guide to every sensible farmer in
the state
This is only the second year of the crop
report idea. and the thorough arrangement
of every detail speaks volumes for Mr..
Park Morrill,, and his efficient corps of AS
sistants. Last year an effort was made
before the legislature to get the state to
take a part--to lend IL helping hand-as the
department found it difficult to secure APP
preparations from congress to get the neces-
sary printing done. The legislature paid
but little attention to the effort of Mr.. Nor
rill, as it doubtless failed to realize the
great good such Il report does. In many
states. however. this lethargy does not eA-
list, and appropriations are made 10 ASSIST
the weather bureau especially where us
work chimes in SO closely with the people Oh
the state
The are four hundred and fifty crop re
ports in the consolidated report. and
throughout the entire state splendid snow
ing is made, and especially Is one deplora-
Bile fact brought forward.
has increased and the actual increase Is
10 per cent The southern papers, and
the northern ones too, for that matter nave
attempted to show for the last TWO Years
where such an existing state OF ailinIS
would be harmful and the danger signal
was hung out The farmer was told also
not to take it for granted that every other
man was going to cut down his cotton crop
by half. and thus by planting more cotton
than usual he would make pile OF money.
But it appears that each man was deter
mined to take advantage of the cutting
down in acreage of cotton and the result Is
that a larger crop than ever before Is an
ticipated
The cold kept the fruit trees from bloom
ing so early and the indications are thut
this will be a most prosperous wear tor trult
growers and that there will be trult Ill
abundance. The truck farms were slightly
damaged by the late froStS, but to no apprc-
ciabe extent. All in all everything is
hourishing and the outlook. except for those
who planted cotton is most encouraging.
Mr.. Morrilps Report.
With the opening of the growing season
in the northerly section of the state the
weekly issue OF the Weathcr-crop bulletin
of the Georgia weather service is resumed.
We commence under the most encouraging
conditions. Each of the one hundred ana
thirty-seyen counties of the state Is repre-
scented by one or more correspondents with
the exception of only four-Clayton, Nc
lntosh, Pickens and IWlgSS. Already
four hundred and fifty able gentlemen hate
Signihed their desire TO cooperate IN TINS
service 50 that | think we may feel sure OF
redeeming our promise to make the Georgia
crop service second to none III the country.
If we had the recognition of the legislature
and the aid of the state III the way OF bet
ter facilities for printing and distributing re-
ports as is contemplated III Il bill which
awaits consideration ut the next session of
the general assembly, / think we could
have Il weather aud crop service i'll Geor-
gia as good as the best. A large number
OF states have already taken action and 1t
is beyond question that the advantages of
such service are greater III the south than
i'll most sections.
At this time it may be we'll to make
brief explanation of the method used in the
collection and compilation of these reports.
Public spirited persons, who appreciate the
advantage to farmers and to all honest bus
mess men of reliable information upon the
condition of crops, have volunteered to fur
nsh to this office n weekly report AS
noted above, four hundred and fifty such
gentlemen have already signi1ied their viii
lingness to perform this duty. For more
ready digestion of the great mass of infor-
nation thus received, the state il divided
into nine geographical districts after the
plan used by the postOfiice department. As
rule crop conditions will be considered
with reference to these sections Oft
times the reh0rt given for 4 section will diff
fer from that made by any individual re-
porter. This divergence will b. readily I'M
nerstood by the latter upon remembering
dat the report is the average Of some fifty
Horts. Sometimes even in county reports
| iITe Will be similar divergence. especially
v,Se case of very large counties. some of
~, contain eight or ten reporters
the unusual cold since the beginning of
darincr. while having the effect of rem
Intn. re opening of the season a few days
ZION usual is not without cOmpensa-
t;nos rnn holding back the buds of fruit
w;,~m w-no the sudden coming of really
escane of ser gives good assurance of the
nroSrct &c nus damage by frost better
applcs and pod yield of peaches. pears.
| this se.lSon or fruits was never had Mt
! od Il Iittl i,+ogr crops also while plant
attain n 't"r1io2n usual. viii very likely
feet development lEgoWth and more more per
conditions under whss' , o1 NE Ias?ratle
The chief injury donG they VIII &crmha'e
have been to trs n,fy the cold seems to
and TO early vegetablesr sowing Oh oats
Special inquiry was Td garden crops.
report into the increase tIuted Tor ms
cotton of which much has 'he acreage or
public press of late. # wijfn said in tie
understood that i'll the nor}l course De
OF the state this is a proposcfn !, s1cI,oAS
| an actual increase at this tmt'Hci N'dn
haps, the publication of he dcplAttiI, per.
that II considerable increase in ceyHlc TACT
! lead some TO wisely reconsider the my
! before entering on new expert Yer
lowpriced cotton. The results a~ri, = OF
are as follows: There is an estinla;etaI
! crease III cotton acreage III tue northWt
section of Ii per cent; northeast, 8 II
! cent; west. 10 per cent; central [ per cent
east, II per cent; southwest. 10 per cent
! south. [ per cent; southeast, . per q mt
| For the entire state the estimated increase
is 10 per cent. An encouraging feature i
an accompanying slight increase in tho
acreage of wheat and oats. except in The
! south and southeast districts The arraog,
of corn has also kept up to that Of last
year in the central belt of the state. bat
elsewhere is diminished from to Ia per
cent. The increased consumption of guanc
seems to have been in part for use on corn
! as we'll as cotton.
The weather of the past week has been
! favorable to most farming operations. The
! rainfall has been confined TO occasional
showers, which were very light, except in
! the three southern sections. Although
! there is no serious need of rain, Il few show
| ers would be beneficial to sprouting seeds
and tender plants i'll many northery dis