El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-26
TEXAS COTTON CROP
Far Exceeds Earlier Expectai ions

the cotton crop of l900-l90l has de-
monstrated one thing, and that Is tina,
! The acreage Is not always q criterion as
| to the final outcome of . cotton crop
The News on June issued crop repor
VIII ch showed reduction in the &C
reage OF IS per cent, and now repre-
sents report showing an average TO-
erase In production for the state of Il
per cent. The News of Septem0 Der l
contained the compilation of accurate
| reports from the railroads aud other
carriers showing the crop OF Texas for
| 1899 1900 to have been J, 422, CTS bales.
An addition ofl7 per cent indicates q
yield for the season of 1900 1901 Of D.
S3i $40 bales. Late frost and top
crop may increase the yield to fall B.
Q60, 600 bales for Texas. North Texas
Lsres in this production to the largest
extent, the increase there icing 33 s
per cent, and the coast country shows
decrease per cent. Genital Texas
shows an increase OF Is per cent:
southwest Texas is 2 per cent, and
east Te xss an increase OF II per cent.
z Proba bly, no crop started out with
greater drawbacks than did the pre-
sent one. There would have been an
increase in acreage OF II or Is per cent
bad 1t not been for conditions. A long,
cold, wet spring simply prohibited ex-
pedition 10 farm work. but farmers
persisted and planted several times to
get stand. Many fields, even after
the cotton commenced to grow, became
flooded with water or choked with
weeds and grass, inspired by the wet
weather and the inability OF the farm
ers TO work the fields. Such fields had
to be abandoned. 10 the coast district
While other sections we're favored
with drier weather, the coast district
continued to be inundated, and when
tie rains ceased the boil wesvil and
worms and caterpillars took the plant.
Many Q field in the coast district was
devastated of fruit. Then came the
storm of September SO, and its raw
ages were visited on this same aft G ed
Many fine cotton communal
These conditions did not exist in other
parts of the state. A few points in
central, south west and east Texss we're
ad versely affected. Such places were
just across the border from coast dis
Irict. After y stand was once secured
In all other parts OF the state and the
wes ds were removed the cotton plant
appears to have done splendidiy. There
was lots OF sorry looking cotton ell
over the state 10 July that WAS brought
to fine condition by ths hot august
and Septem Der weather. The crop
was made In those two months.
Other field crops do not appear to
have shared the prosperity of cotton.
Corn lie but fair at best and farmers
will have little or none to sell. while in
some section they will have to buy.
The story OF wheat and oats Ia already
known. These would have been fine
had they been saved after cutting, but
much OF both Was damaged by being
deluged while yet In the shock.
pIVERSIFICATIoN.
Regarding the acreage of next sea-
son, few correspondents make re-
marks. The high price which the
farmers have received is going to in
duce some OF them to put more land to
cotton. That is told by several CORES
pondepts. Perhaps they can afford to
do It. as the husbandmen of Texas
were never more prosperous or nearer
cash basis than at present, and they
will remain that way, because the day
Of "all cotton" has passed in all but
fe " localities In south Texas. Farmers
are diversifying. They put out all the
cotton land they wapt to but they see
to 1t that they have enough land left
for wheat, corn and oats, gardens for
their own use, orchards and vineyards.
They sre looking to the markets with
their hogs and cattle and grain, and in
several localities have organized for
the growing and shipping Of garden
truck. fruit. cantsloupes and melons.
A few are doing something with the