The news & observer., 1897-09-10

cotton and the further fact that the crop
in this State is much smaller than was
expected a month ago. caused the
farmer to believe the price ought to be
higher than the market was paying.
Those who had read the letter of the
Commissioner of Agriculture an the New
Orleans Times-Democrat were very
much surprised at his statements, and
declared that it was one of the lnf1u-
ences that was contributing to pressing
down the price of cotton.
THE FARMERS PROTEST.
To the Editor: We notice in to-day's
News and Observer an article from the
Times Democrat, written by Commits
sioner j. NJ. Mewborne, which has ten
dency to mislead in regard to the cotton
Srop. His statement was based upon
reports received. perhaps 10 days ago.
and in this note no reHection Is cast
upon the authors of those reports nor
upon the commissioner himself. As
matter of fact the acreage III cotton IN
this section will not exceed the average
IN former years, while the yield will not
60 beyond IS per cent. Ten days ago the
prospects were considerably brighter for
a heavy yield than now, they were
Brighter yesterday than they are to-day,
and unless rain shall fall in a very few
days, the yield will fall far short of the
q mark Bolls as large as partridge
eggs are drying up on the stalks to-day.
This is true not only of this, the North
central section Of Wake county, but of
Franklin county also. These overdrawn
statements always have a depressing in
fuence upon the market, and should nev-
er be indulged.
Very respectfully,
GEO. w. DAVIS.
r. C. MITCHELL.
J. NJ. CRENSHAW,
GEO r. HOLLAND.
]. r. HOLLAND,
O. X. HOLDING.
GEO. f. GILL.
Wake Forest, N. c., Sept. 8, 1897.
CROU ABOUT THREE FOURTHS.
The following letter explains itself:
To the Editor: / see from reports in
your paper, the claim for the cotton crop
is above an average. The reporter of
same-knOw nothing of the conditions
OF the cotton else the report would be
otherwise. Up to about the Stir of Au-
gust the conditions of the cotton were:
since, owing to the hot and dry weather,
the crop will not go above 75 per cent
of the crop Of 1896 in my section and
what / can learn from other sections,
conditions are the same. Rains now
could not help but very little as the
young buttons have all perished and have
fallen off. Corn crop better than 1885,
Fodder well saved. Cotton very well
opened.
J. C. FORT.
Wyatt, N. c., Sept. 8. 1897.
MIR. MEWBORNES ADDITIONAL
STATEMENT.
The Commissioner of Agriculture said
yesterday: Il want to modify greatly
my statement made August 10Th to the
New Orleans Times Democrat regarding
the cotton crop. In many places the crop
is fully as good as it was last year. A
month ago it promised to be great
crop. But it has failed greatly and is
still failing. 1t is no better a crop
than last years. There has been
wonderful change for the worse in thirty
days Rust is the result of the drought
and rust certainly hurts cotton. Our
reports on the corn were never so good
as those as to cotton. The bugs and
worms damaged the corn much early in
the season, when it was SO cold and
wet. and it was hard to get a good
stand.'
No State crop report for September
will be made, as no inquiry blanks were
sent out. The Agricultural Department
people say that there will be mention
of the crops in the bulletin, but it will
be merely conjectural.
WHAT OF THE CROP?
The annual review and forecast COM
oil htyt ha
Financial Chronicle, speaking with re-
ference to the new crop outlook, thus
summarizes the conditions:
Compared with 1896 the growing
crop is a late one, and consequently
more dependent upon future develop
ments and conditions than an early
crop. Then, again, our acreage report
showed that the start in the spring, as a
rule, was backward and otherwise not
favorable, though Texas was an ex-
ception. We need hardly say that with
these drawbacks it would be very ven
turesome to give any forecast of the
yield. No crop ever depended to larg-
er extent than this upon future deyel-
opments and weather conditions"
OF the last crop it gives the follow
ing:
The compilation is brought up to Sep
tember /. 1t estimates the total crop
OF 1S96-'97 at S,714,O11 bales, against
7,162,473 during the season from Sep.
tember /, 1895, to September /, 1896.
and 9,892,766 bales in the crop wear
Of 1S94'95. OF this total crop $685.
422 bales were exported, including g.
913,S47 bales to Great Britain, 1878
through the English channel and 69S.-
748 to France. These total exports
compare with 4,646,OS4 year ago, when
Great Britain took 2,196,977 chan
mel 1O5.613 and France 16S.444.
''The figures show that the total tax