The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-11-10
A COTTON CROP ESTIMATE
NEwBURGER COMPANY SAYS CROP
WILL HE 100000 BALES.
Adding the Old Cotton They Predict
Maximum of O.S0O.0OO Bales to
he Brought Forward.

IN an interesting siNluS tuelT tsti-
mate of this years cotton crop, the New
burger Cotton company OF Memphis, Tenn.
says:
We have inquired from the most Intelligent
farmers why it was this crop was spotted.
and what was the cause OF the loss OF tue
middle crop. They invariably answer, sud
cen hot easterly winds; very dry weather
in our September circular, we felt satisfied
that the loss OF this midde crop would nave
u serious bearing on the final outturn. and
IT. would be impossible to make the yield OF
last year
In this circular We said top crop was con-
Jectuial. thinking possibly we might have
repetition of the conditions OF 1896, when,
after the severe, hot easteriy winds that
prevailed during August, when the plant
looked wilted aud as Il 1t were not possible
TO make another bale. The month vi Septem-
per opened under the most favorable auspices.
developing large top crop, adding a million
bales TO the yield OF that year 1t is pass
ing strange that in the past twelve crops
we have no season that we can compare
1856. The first part of September was very
lunfayorable towards developing a top crop,
untfl the latter part OF the mouth, when the
pant put on second growth in late planted
COTTON aud very low land. The month OF
October has developed some top crop, under
these conditions. but there is no top crop IN
the upland districts In answer to this query,
! our correspondents report very little top crop
made during tue month of October. The rs
ports we have received about the top crop
are therefore very disappointing. IL is an
old axiom among farmers, that any fruit put
on the plant alter September 10 never ma
lures, and this has been fully verified this
year in regard to the top crop.
= In verihcation OF our estimate, our replies
indicate that picking was finished in three
fourths OF the cotton belt by November and
that the balance would finish, ON an average.
in fifteen days. Therefore. 1t is logical TO
assume that IT was impossible to raise fun
crop and pick it in this short space of time,
when at least one fourth OF our correspond
ems state that picking has been hnisned In
their district fifteen or twenty days ago.
In dry year it is almost impossible TO
pack heavy bales. Therefore. we call your
bales, compared with last year. Our re-
ports show that the weight of bales through
out the entire cotton belt will be from ten
TO twelve pounds lighter than last year.
In Il dry year the tendency Is always to.
underestimate crop. and 1t Is generally
underestimated by all crop statisticians. and.
therefore. we have concluded to give maxi,
the doubt to the larger side of the crop. In
former years 1t has been our, practice TO Is
sue minimum estimate, and state that We
are satisfied the crop Is at least so much.
One of the questions asked by us was how
much seed cotton does 1t take to make a
500 pound bale of cotton. Last year the gen
eral estimate placed it at about 1900 pounds:
this year 1t takes from 1900 TO 1850.
1t seems that Texas has the worse crop OF
any from our reports, Southern Texas seems
10 be per cent pelter tuun ias' we,
central Texas ~ per cent worse. and North
ern Texas, which comprises one-third OF the
Estate, 80 to 40 per cent worse. Arkansas
lcomes next In deterioration. followed by
North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia
mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana are near
'ly as good as last year
In asking the questions OF our correspond
ents we laid particular stress upon one
question: "How much old cotton is lett I'D
YOUR country" So that we might estimate
this crop. then add to 1t the old crop re-
naming on hand, scattered throughout the
cotton belt.