The age-herald., 1900-10-19

l Florida ......... .......... ......... 5O0O0 | Alabama ........ ...... ..... .......... 0,000 | Mississippi .....- ........ ........... 950,0O 1 Tensessee ...... ........ ............ 25O, GOO l Arkansas and Missouri ..... ...... SO0,0e0 Louisiana .... ........ ................ $50, 900 ! Texas ....... .......... ............ 3200. 900 ] Indian Territory ...... .... ......... 250,0 | Oklahoma ...... ........ ............ 100000 1 Total crop ..... ...... ......... 9300, GOO This estimate was made on October 14,
 and in a letter of that date MT. Kirkman l says:
 "The question of acreage was difficult to handle, as although an increase prevailed in nearly all the States, yet the excessive wind | and floods during June compelled the aban-
 donment of great areas of land planted in | cotton.
 "The water courses in many cases washed up the entire planting on their banks. Ala bama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and | Tennessee especially suffered. "Texas from which a great increase of
 cotton acreage was expected, has from sev
 eral causes less acreage than last year. In the first place, the high price of wheat | tempted the farmers in north Texas to plant
 a great dead last fall; for this reason cot : ton acreage was much reduced. In many
 black land counties the reductions amount
 ed to 20 per cent. Any one familiar with | Texas could notice this great decrease in
 cotton acreage simply by viewing the field | from the train Then the Brazos overfowed | destroying the entire crop of cotton plant 1 ed on it's banks, amounting to l00,000 bales. Heavy rains In May and June washed up a | great deal of cotton. Besides, the cyclone of September 10 stripped a great many bolls 1 from the stalk, and even blew the plant out of the ground.
 ''The crop east of the Mississippi Is the worst I have seen in twenty years close ob- servatlOn.
 Tn conclusion I would remark that the movement up to December does not always indicate the size of the crop. For instance l on September 10 1883, Messrs. c. P. Hunt & Go. published my estimate of 5,650, 900 ! bales It turned out 5, 600 bales. Yet up to l December 15 the movement was larger than i fine previous season, when the crop Was 1 1000 900 bales"
 What the Eng lishman Says Mir Buston whose estimate Is 10,250,00O | bales, is a member of the hrm or A. J. | Buston and Company of Liverpool, Eng land, and is also connected with house in Glasgow, Scotland He came to the United States on September T. and in speaking of his inspection of the cotton crop of the South since that date he says: T travel in the same districts, and as nearly as possible visit the same cotton
  pare the condition of the crop one year with another, and estimate the average number of bales in the hSld. l have been making tours of the cotton groIing re- gions of this country for number of years"
 MT Buston cabled the result Of bis 1n- vestigation to the Liverpool Courier and the Manchester Guardian, and it was m substance follows:
 T started in at North Carolina and then ,,.rh Iiy.o
 Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tex- as. In North Carolina 1 found that the
 plant was small but well fruited and
 everywhere green. l estimate the condN
 tion to be from to per cent better than
 last year. It was a pretty sight to see
 acres and acres of the plant covered with
 green. I could tell cotton field from a
 great distance. While out with party of
 friends I pointed out to them a cotton
 field about a mile and half off. They
 could hardly believe Not very long af-
 terward they were convinced I was cor rect.
 "In South Carolina I found the plant
 small, but green. In some of the districts
 mainly the sandy lands, I found that the plant had suffered from the drought. But on the whole, the general conditions were far better than they were last year. Tn Georgia the crop was reasonably
 green and well fruited, but late. Should
 there be no killing frosts during the month
 O. OctDDeF, lHe IdfIneFS VIII IIke a good
 yield While the planters, in some places,
 stated that they would only make little
 more than half crop, feel convinced that
 they were overestimating the damage, as
 the plants at the same time last year were,
 in many fields, entirely picked out.
 Tn Alabama the plant was in some fields
 badly in drought. but alive and fruiting
 Where the land had been well cultivated
 the plant was strong, with many bolls and
 squares On top All depends on the frost
 A late frost vii. add immensely to the yield.
 Tn Missippi the plant along the rail-
 roads looked exceedingly poor. Upon in- vestigation l found that the crop was look ing much better than reported. The weather was exceedingly hot, with good dew at night, and the plant was improving
 everywhere.
 Tn Louisiana the crop is decidedly spot ted. On the whole, il is much better than last year. The plant is still very green, but