The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-22
CROP OF 6,6OO,OOO BALES.
BradStreetS Receives Reports From
66S Counties.

Ninety-fve Per Cent. of the Cotton
Growing Area of the Country Cow
cred by the Reports-rhe Movements
to Market Reported Faster Than
Last Year-The Condition Good.
New York, Dec. 21.-The 1898 cotton
crop report to Bradstreets contains the
substance of replies received from 1,922
correspondents in 66S cotton-growin
counties, an average of nearly three re-
ports from each county, in an area COM
prising 80 per cent. of the cOttou-growing
section of the United States II points to
model picking season, allowing the crop
to be saved to an unusual extent and In
the best possible condition as regards
freeness from damage by storms, stain,
etc. This, while true of the entire belt,
is more conspicuous in the Gulf states
and the southeast, poor picking weathert
reports coming chiefly from the Caro-
linas.
GATHERING or THE tor CROP.
The replies 10 questions as to gathering
the top crop are less satisfactory than
those regarding picking weather, due
chiefly to causes affecting the crop previ-
Gus to picking. But the answers are
rather more unsatisfactory than at this
time last year Picking began earlier
this year, and killing frosts arrived later.
As to the quality of this years crop the
replies seem TO be less favorable than in
previous years, due, as in the case of the
top crop, to influences prior to the picking
season.
THE MOVEMENT TO MARKET.
There Is very general report that the
movement OF the crop to market is faster
than last year, and the reasons advanced
are the financial necessities of planters
and the refusal of banks to carry cotton
as freely as in former years.
The answers to the inquiry as to the
quantity of cotton remaining unpicked at
the time Of mailing the replies corrobor-
ate the reports OF a favorable picking sea-
son and practical saving of the entire,
crop.
There is striking contrast between
the replies as TO the ultimate yield this
year compared with last. Last year 90
per cent. of the replies received indica-
ted decrease, and the total yield fell of
100000 bales. This year only 55 per
cent of the replies as to yield Indicate
decrease, while much larger number
report an increase this year than did last.
WHERE THE LOSSES OCCUR.
The replies by states as to yield show
a particularly heavy falling off from last
year in South Carolina and Texas, while
noticeable increases are announced from
Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas. The
causes of the decrease in South Carolina,
in spite Of literally increased acreage,
are said to be the great storms in Au-
gust, which swept the eastern and CEN
trial portions of that state, and also lid
much damage in North Carolina and
Georgia.
In Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and
Texas the increased acreage, due to bet
ter prices and the planting of land which
was Overflowed last year, has been Offset
in some degree by extreme hot, dry
weather from June TO August, with some
damage from worms. From these states,
too, while il is admitted the crop has been
gathered clean and free from dirt, re-
ports Of a short and less satisfactory sta
Pile are numerous. Reports that the bales
are lighter this year than last come from
most all sections.
A summary of the returns received in
dicate that the total cotton crop of 1S93-94
will approximate about $500, 900 bales.