Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1899-06-30
FARMER AND PLANTER.
COTTON CROP OUTLOOK.
Probability that the Crop VIII he
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,
NnG of the prospects for the acreage
and crop of cotton for the coming
season, has been prepared by Knott d
Gle ssen, bankers and brokers of Bur-
lineton, 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
Goo of these letters mailed, the flrst
on February 20, and the last on Aprll
I. II was intended that the inquiries
should reach the planters at or about
The time of planting, and this was nc"
complishcd, 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
of tn $500 persons addressed, and they
came from 52l cotton counties. The
greatest numbers are from Texas,
Georgia and Arkansas, and the least
tlom Tennessee. The replies were evil
IDENTITY 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 II greater diversity of crops
end suggestions of remedies for the
runously low prices which have pre-
vailed for cotton. The report, com
piled from these letters, says:
"'rhc average net price to the plant
CT 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, AGO cents to
4.7O cents; in Alabama, AS cents, and
Mississippi and Missouri, $50 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 general reduction in
this springs acreage. First-The un-
p,ocedented lateness of the season and
| excessive rains, the latter especially
true in Alabama and Georgia. Second
| - The continued and abnormally low
| rIcc 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 q uniformly reduced
acreage of 20.3 Per cent; louisiana
a. per cent; Texas and Indian terri
tory, 1871 per cent; Mississippi, 17G
Fer cent; Tennessee, 0.3 per cent; all
others, IA per cent; total average re-
dnction of 17.2 per cent. in states
whose acreage last season amounted
&c 22,244, IA, with a production of H.
G0s,0OO bales. In the reports from
The state of Texas IS per cent. com.
Ilained of the increasing rayages OF
he boil weeyil, especially in the coun
tiec bordering on the Rio Grande--G
Iest that unless some remedy is soor
found will spread into other states
Georgia and Alabama reported The
greatest decrease in the sale and use
of fertilizers, running in most in
STANCES from rs per cent. TO rs pei
cent. less that last year. In all these
reports a general and growing dispo
sition 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 OF
the LIST of April west of the Mississip
pi river, with larger percentage o
unpicked and ruined cotton than eve
before elsewhere; also as to the grad,
pno 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 tn,
reports relative to this years acreage
We believe the average decrease il
acreage, as given above, drawn from
over 5000 reports, indicates as nearl,
hs possible correct and conservative
estimate from the cottongrower,which
together with large decrease in III,
use of fertilizers, and many reports o
n rcor quality of seed as well as hast,
preparation of the land, Indicate
clearly the folly of expecting a thirc
crop equaling that of 1s97-0S and tn
season now drawing to "A close" IN. Y
Sun.