The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-10
COTTON CROP SHORTER THAN
ANTICIPATED.

18th in an editorial on the cotton situa-
ton said:
MEN who grow cotton and who have
practical knowledge of the character OF
the plant, know that when the summer
ends termination of the cotton bolls ends,
and that the fruit must have a good
start toward maturity before the cool
nights of the middle of September set III
September and October top crop talk
is now and always will be nothing but
bosh, sent out for the purpose of keeping
the price of cotton down until the cotton
leaves the hands of the producers. 1t
takes hot summer time to terminate cot
ton, and there is a great difference be-
tween hot cotton summer and autumn In
dian summer"
To show that the News and Observer
knew at that time what it was talking
about, we have only to quote few OF
the leading cotton farmers in the coun-
ties growing the best crops that is grown
in the State this year as to their present
estimates of the crop.
Mr.. Frank Faison, who owns and culti-
Yates one of the largest and richest farms
in Northampton county, while in Raleigh
a few days ago stated that his crop would
fall short 300 bales over his own estimate
of a month ago. In other words the ap-
pearance of the crop month ago indicat
ed to Mr.. Faison that he would gather
500 bales, the result, he says, will be 500
bales.
Mr.. w. B. Young, of Wilson county, who
owns and cultivates one of the richest
farms in Wilson. and who month age
thought that the Wilson county cror
would be at least 80 per cent of last
years. now says it will be only 65 pei
cent.
Capt. j. R. Tillery an extensive cotton
grower of Halifax county, states that the
crops along both sides of the Roanoke
river will not be anything like the esti-
mates were a month ago. The truth
is. as we stated on November
18th, cotton must terminate and mature
and make considerable advances toward
maturing before September 18th or 18TH,
for after that time there is no such thing
as terminating or maturing the crop in
any part of the cotton belt.
There seems to have been a studied eff
fort on the part of the foreign bears and
spinners and good bear element of do
nestle Spectators to discredit the Gov
eminent Report which was issued on De-
cember 3rd., but the rise in cotton in
forty-eight hours would seem to indicate
that even these pronounced and influen-
tial foreign and domestic bears will have
to take their medicine, and if they want
American cotton they must pay prices
commensurate with the small crop that
has been made and gathered.
The News and Observers opinion is
that cotton will sell in New York before
very long at Sc. per pound and our pre-
diction is that the spot cotton business OF
here and hereabouts will be something
like it was two years ago and our cotton
mills will ship cotton back from New
York to spin.
We believe now that the News and OBJ
servers estimate on November 18th OF
32S. O40 bales for North Carolina is max
imum estimate, and considering the re-
ports from the counties above referred to,
we would not be surprised if the crop in
North Carolina should not exceed 800 900
bales. and if this should be so, spot cot
ton on our local market is likely before
the season ends to be even higher than
it is in New York and other foreign mar
kets.
The New York Commercial says that
1.-THE News and Observer sets the pace for
newspapers in the cotton States" Until
the estimate of this paper appeared on
November nth, the lowest estimate OF
the cotton crop made by any New York
house was 100000 bales, and Neill and
Buston put it above SIS, 900 bales. Parties
who desire to make true estimates of the
North Carolina crop will put 32S.04o bales
as the maximum, with the probabilities
being that the crop will not be larger
than 800, 900 bales.