Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-15
CAPTAIN KOLB ON COTTON.
AN ADDRESS TO SOUTHERN PLANTERS
He Advises That No Cotton Be Marketed Dur ing the Next Sixty to Ninety
 Days.

The cotton crop is the principal topic at present in the cotton producing states and on the markets of the world, and many men have figured on the probable amount of the staple which will be mar keted this year.
 The latest is from Capt R. F. Kolb of this city, and he has written letter to the cotton planters of the south, not only estimating the crop, but advising them as to how best dispose of it. It reads as follows:
 ITO the Cotton Planters of the South:
 In answer to various letters received from different sections of the south ask ing my opinion in regard to the present prospect of yield and price of the grow ing cotton crop, and in view of the fur ther fact that I am in warm sympathy with the toilng millions engaged in the cultivation and production of cotton. l have thought best to write this letter for publication.
 have given the subject much study and devoted much of my time in inVes- tigating the true status, and reel that am in a position to give my friends an Intelligent solution of the situation and direct them to proper course of action Tn the near future.
 No intelligent man who is adequately posted will take issue with me on the
 
 ton will fall far below the needs of the worlds consumption for the next twelve months. In my opinion the crop can't possibly reach 100000 bales, and may fall below 6,500,000. l think l can give many good reasons for my conclusion. A wet May always means short cotton crop. This is a known fact to all grow CTS of cotton and stands as tradltlon handed down to us by our forefathers from generation to generation ever since
 tfnta n trn MI 1D in this country. This year we not only had the wet May, but during the three following months of June, July and Au- gust the rains continued over all the cotton states except Texas. If we know anything of cotton production We must know the cotton plant is a sun plant and not a water lily, and hence too much wa ter has very much damaged the crop. A great many plantations failed to have nroper cultivation and today the hay crop, if cut and marketed, would pf1ng twice as much as the cotton crop on some of these lands. On many planta- lions too much moisture has produced tall slender, watery cotton stalks, and millions of these stalks have but little if any fruit on them . many sections has produced rust and the stalks, leaves and bolls have turned red, and not half a. crop will be produced on such plants. In other sections the boil worm, army worm ana sharp snoo.- ~. ers' have been very destructive and the crop very nearly destroyed, beseiged by all these causes
 Again, the cotton crop, in the average, is nearly one month late, and an early frost would cut the crop off over 100000 bales. With so much moisture in the soil this year we should expect frost this year much earlier than usual.
 As I understand. the situation of the present cotton crop, after diligent in ouiry, think it possible and highly prob able that not exceeding 6,50o,oOO bales will be produced.
 Last years crop amounted to little more than 9,900000 bales. The crop was sold at an average of cents, which was below the actual cost of production. This was certainly a great hardship and