The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1899-06-24
FARMER AND PLANTER.
COTTON CROP OUTLOOK.
Probability that the Crop VIII be
Smaller and Poorer than Usual,

A valuable report of the condition
OF affairs among the farmers of thu
great cotton belt of the United States
ano OF the prospects for the acreage
and crop of cotton for the coming
season, has been prepared by Knott &
Ci1ssen, bankers and brokers of Bur.
bngton, VT. The material for the re-
port was gathered by sending letters
direct to the farmers in the nine cot
ton-growing states. In all there were
o,SOO OF these letters mailed, the first
on February 20, and the last on April
l. 1t was intended that the inquiries
should reach the planters at or about
me time OF planting, and this was ac-
complished, except in some sections
where the land had not yet been brok-
en-. from these sections the answers
us TO the acreage are estimates.
Replies were received from 5,371 out
OIL tn $500 persons addressed, and they
came from 521 cotton counties. The
greatest numbers are from Texas,
Georgia and Arkansas, and the least
nom Tennessee. The replies were evil
gently carefully prepared, and con-
tanned much information relative to
II e financial condition of the people
OF the cotton belt, the outlook of the
cotton planting industry as viewed
nom their standpoint, and the advis-
ability of a greater diversity of crops
end suggestions of remedies for the
ruinously low prices which have pre-
vailed for cotton. The report, COM
piled from these letters, says:
The average net price to the plant
en- for this years cotton in the states
OF Texas, Georgia, Arkansas and Lou
is.ana was 4.50 cents; in Florida, Ten
nessee and the Carolinas, AGO cents to
40 cents; in Alabama, ATS cents. and
Mississippi and Missouri, 4.sO cents to
$40 cents. The opinion was universal
that this crop had been raised and
marketed at loss to the planter.
Three great reasons have operated to
bring about q general reduction in
this Springs acreage. First-The un-
Ptecedcnted lateness of the season and |
excessive rains, the la,rer especially |
true in Alabama and Georgia. Second
= The continued and abnormally low
rrice OF raw cotton. Third-The COM
plete 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 per cent; Louisiana.
s2.9 per cent; Texas and Indian terri
tory, 1871 per cent; Mississippi, ITO
Fer cent; Tennessee, 9.3 per cent; all
others, IA per cent; total average re-
daction of 17.2 per cent. in states
whose acreage last season amounted
to 22,244,144, with q production of H.
o9s,ooo bales. In the reports from
the state of Texas IS per cent. COM
Llained of the increasing ravages of
lie boil weevil, especially in the coun-
lies bordering on the Rio Grande-a
pest that unless some remedy is soon
found will spread into other states.
ieofgia and Alabama reported the
greatest decrease in the sale and use
If fertilizers, running in most in
stances from rs per cent. to IS per
'cnt. less that last year. In all these
cports general and growing dispo-
it;on to diversity crops and the turn
ng of the planters attention to stock
aising was manifest.
These advices indicated greater
ercentage of unmarketable cotton on j
he LIST of April west of the Mississip- f
i river. with larger percentage of q
npicked and ruined cotton than ever e
efore elsewhere; also as to the grade
nc spinning quality of the staple "
hese reports were uniform in stating h
hat this seasons cotton was the poor 4
st in quality ever raised. The great b
Il interest centers, naturally, in the
rports relative to this years acreage. il
We believe the average decrease in h
creage, as given above, drawn from a
yer 5000 reports, indicates as nearly 81
) possible correct and conservative
'timate from the cottongrower,w which, 81
'gether with large decrease in the 6,
sc of fertilizers, and many reports of g.
Pcor quality of seed as well as hasty CT
reparation OF the land, indicates
early the folly CT. expecting a third IL
'op equaling that of 1s97-9s and the II,
ason now drawing to q close."-N. Y. OF
Iii. In,