The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-07
BIG INCREASE SHOWN
In the Acreage Devoted to the
Growth Of Cotton.

Growth of Cotton.
New York, June THE Financial
Chronicles estimate Of the cotton acre
age for the present year has Just been
published. An increase OF sos per cent
for the whole country is reported. The
department Of agriculture in its state
ment May 81 reported an increase of S.3
Per cent On the same date the Journal
OF Commerce and Commercial Bulletin
issued the special estimate of 40 per
cent increase. The Chronicles estimate
and that OF the Journal OF Commerce
and Commercial Bulletin were consid-
erably below the trade estimates, which
OFTEN figured about a per cent in
crease and in some cases as high as 10
per cent.
The Chronicles statement in part fol-
lows. Cotton acreage and condition
figures procured the latter part of May
and the first week in June this year are
subject to the possibility OF larger cor
rections later in the season than usual.
This is due to two facts: ID that this
crop is no doubt a backward One-in-
deed, for the whole cotton section we
believe it averages among the very lat
est in terminating we have ever had to
record and, CD the rainfall, which has
started much of the seed hitherto ly
ing dormant, is very recent and while
we may now pronounce the results of
the rains as extremely beneficial, later
advices may require us in some meas
As to acreage our information in
clines us to the opinion that the in
crease is not as large as early in the
season was generally anticipated would
be the case.
But Notwithstanding this more mod
crate increase in acreage (than in 1900
enough cotton has been planted to
make an enormous crop If all the con-
ditiOnS could be as favorable as in the
spring, summer and autumn of 1897
and 1898. Probably Is per cent more
land had been put under cotton in the
south this year than in either of the
years mentioned and yet the average
raised as already said, in each OF these
years was about IL, 100000 bales. Hence
as the acreage averaged in 1897 and 1898
over 3,000.0 600 acres and is now, say
26O00,000 acres, it is easy to see that un-
der like conditions of development the
possibilities of this years acreage,
roughly speaking, would be a yield of
say l., SOC. 900 bales. We sum up in brief
the following as the conclusions with
respect to acreage, conditions of plant,
etc. to which our Investigations have
led US.
The inclination at the south this year
was quite generally in the direction of
charging cotton area But we find no
evidence of any radical tendency in that
direction except in the newer sections.
hence the net percentage of increase
for the whole country is only about half
as great as in 1900.
estimated acreage for 1901 in each state
follows:
Virginia, 5 per cent. 54.s50 acres
North Carolina, 2 per cent, 959 03y;
South Carolina. per cent, 2254,7 25; /
Georgia, per cent, 1897, 1893; Florida. /
10 per cent, 800 525; Alabama, per
cent, 3449, 751; Mississippi, 4 per cent, |
3306 1870; Louisiana, 8 per cent, 1850 sos; |
Texas, 6 per cent, 1888, 702; Arkansas, 1
5 per cent, ], 648, 0S2; Tennessee, 6 per |
cent, 712 900; Indian Territory, IA per /
cent. 382, 1856; Oklahoma, 20 per cent. i
232, 290; Missouri, per cent. 1886. /
Total, sos per cent, rs, 868, Sol.
This compilation shows that with a /
net increase compared with 1900 of sos 4
per cent, the total acreage reaches Is,
S68 Sol acres in 1901, against "a, 625, 944 I
acres in 1900.
With regard to maturity. cultivation /
and condition, the conclusions reached +
are as follows:
F7irst-In maturity there is no doubt
that the crop is a late one, even later
and more widely backward than that
plants from many states that drouth /
and wet weather each in turn, and low
all through the planting
season, have hindered work and de-
layed termination.
Second-Cultivatio Is satisfactory
where the plant is far enough advanced
for chopping out. Recent heavy rains
have put fields in the grass in some Sec
tions but with clearing weather work
is being vigorously prosecuted. Fertil-
izers have been n ore extensively used.
Third-ConditiOn is apparently be-
low the average at this time. There is
no doubt that the plant will need a sue
cession of favoring weeks to bring it
up to a strong and healthy condition