St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-06-24
FARMER AND PLANTER.
COTTON CROP OUTLOOK.
Probability that the Crop Will be
Smaller and Poorer than Usual.

A valuable report of the condition
OF affairs among the farmers of the
great cotton belt of the United States,
anG of the prospects for the acreage
End crop of cotton for the coming
season, has been prepared by Knott q
Clt ssen, bankers and brokers of Bur-
Gngton, VT. The material for the re-
port was gathered by sending letters
direct to the farmers in the nine cot
tcn-growing states. In all there were
$500 of these letters mailed, the first
on February 90, and the last on April
l. 1t was intended that the inquiries
should reach the planters at or about
The time of planting, and this was ac-
cumpiished, except in some sections
where the land had not yet been brok-
en-. From these sections the answers
as to the acreage are estimates.
Replies were received from 5,371 out
OF tn $500 persons addressed, and they
came from sci cotton counties. The
greatest numbers are from Texas,
Georgia and Arkansas, and the least
II on Tennessee. The replies were evil
IDENTIFY carefully prepared, and con-
tanned much information relative to
Il { financial condition of the people
of the cotton belt, the outlook of the
cotton planting industry as viewed
from their standpoint. and the advis-
ability of greater diversity of crops
end suggestions of remedies for the
ruinously low prices which have pre-
vailed for cotton. The report, COM
P,led from these letters, says:
''rhe average net price to the plant
er for this years cotton in the states
OF Texas. Georgia, Arkansas and Lou
is;ana was $50 cents: in Florida, Ten
nesSee and the Carolinas, 400 cents to
4.70 cents; in Alabama, 4.75 cents, and
Mississippi and Missouri, 4.s0 cents to
40 cents. The opinion was universal
that this crop had been raised and
Three great reasons have operated to
bring about a general reduction in
this springs acreage. First-The un-
p,eccdented lateness Of the season and
excessive rains, the lavrer especially
true in Alabama and Georgia. Second
The continued and abnormally low
Price of raw cotton. Third-The COM
rlste decentralization of the planters
credit, inhibiting the usual purchases
of fertilizers.
The states of Alabama, Georgia and
Arkansas report uniformly reduced
acreage of 20.3 PR cent; Louisiana,
-. per cent; Texas and Indian terri
tory. 1871 per cent; Mississippi. 17.9
Icr cent; Tennessee, 9.3 per cent; all
Others, IA per cent; total average re-
dnction of 17.2 per cent. in states
whose acreage last season amounted
&c 2s,244. .144, with production of H.
o9S,0OO bales. In the reports from
the state of Texas IS per cent. com
Ilained of the increasing ravages of
,he Toll weevil. especially in the coun-
tiec bordering on the Rio Grande-a
Lest that unless some remedy is soon
found will spread into other states.
Geofgia and Alabama reported the
greatest decrease in the sale and use
of fertilizers, running in most in
Stances from 25 per cent. to IS per
cent. less that last year. In all these
reports general and growing dispo-
sit;on to diversity crops and the turn
ing of the planters attention to stock
raising was manifest.
These advices indicated a greater
percentage of unmarketable cotton on
the LIST of April west Of the Mississip-
pi river, with a larger percentage Of
Inpicked and ruined cotton than ever
before elsewhere; also as to the grade
rnC spinning quality of the staple
these reports were uniform in stating
that this seasons cotton was the poor
est in quality ever raised. The great
est interest centers, naturally, in the
reports relative to this years acreage.
Ne believe the average decrease in
acreage, as given above. drawn from
over 5000 reports, indicates as nearly
as possible a correct and conservative
estimate from the cottongrower,wh which,
together with large decrease in the
use Of fertilizers, and many reports Of
n Icor quality of seed as well as hasty
of the land. indicates
the folly of expecting a third
crop equaling that of 1s979S and the
season now drawing to a close. Y.
Cp,.