The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-10-03

critical moment-at the end Of June when
the plant had reached thu limit Of cudur.
Hnce-the soil was drcnchcd by ten days
downpour, and all looked promising for a
heavy yield. The new growth which
started, however shad Its fruit almost
as fast as II was put on under the torrid
rays of n July sun aecompanied hy scorch,
ing winds Ruins In the INST week of iuly
again revived the PUNT, hut the late
growth has not come up 10 expectations Rnd
besides has suffered severely from Insect
depTedntiOns.
The boil worm worked great damage in
the northern counties while the loss from
the weeYtl, which is active from Waro
southwark to the Mexican border Is SIT
down as high as half million bales twice
as great as the destruction charged to this
pest last year.
The yield in Texas Will he gathered from
an excellent bottom crop, very short mid
die crop the bulk having been either shed
or eaten on-dud problemattcal top crop
which. under most favorable circumstances
can not bring the total up to a full aver
age.
the decreased estimate for Texas hnt
Louisiana aud Mississippi complaints stin
challenged belief In our efforts TO hnd
the truth, we have confined our inquiries
To- personal friends. whose integrity and
farming experience are both beyond cayil
Our first researches IN Northern Louisiana
showed up that the farmer was himself
the worst fooled guesser on the crop as
III almost every instance tho outturn fel
below his most careful calculations No
reason COuAu ne assigned Tor TINS SURPRISE,
but the fact was only too plain for com.
fort.
In Western Ioulslana. extending M to
the Arkansas line and in the adjoining
rains. grew luNuriantlv and made hand.
some show. but took on surprisingly little
fruit Numerous instances were presented
10 US. where estimates made in July, on
farms that have been cultivated for years,
have bad 10 be cut IN half. A more strk.
ing, example Is place Of 400 acres Is
Inn6n a hnpGpv n
sas, where a July prospect Of az least a
bale to the acre, or 1900 bales, has
300 bales nearly all Of which has already
been gathered. The experience on this
| plantation is Of special value, because on
account Of the owners financial difficulties
his growing crop has been SUPERVISED un-
der his bankers direction, by one Of the
hest planters IN the South ana this has
been closely watched at every stage.
In our Mississippi Investigations we have
had the aid of a friend whose business has
carried him by team over tho territory
between BATON Rouge, La and Memphis,
Tenn. throughout nearly the whole period
Of the past four months. Liko the others.
his expectations and hopes were early for
bumper yield but after the rains the
fruit failed to put on MS -4Spected, ana ~
seemed 10 strike the plant, stopping al
| further growth The northern half Of the
| State suffered much less than the lower
| portion, hut still the deterioration is quite
, marked even In the hest sections
IN all the territory thus covered the
| planting was early the stand good and the
| crop clean and phenomenally free Of grass
and weeds. The June ruins were promptly
| followed by dry hot spell which kept
weeds from gaining on the cotton and the
| crop was laid by" with less lahor aud less
| blowing than any crop IN recent wears.
| To use n bucolic expression 1t was "a
| lazy mans CROP. for there was no deep
| or repeated blowing necessary, one turn
| with the cutivator being sufficient 70 clean
| tho fields Of the scantv underground.
II has heen pointed out that Ia the pros-
| pcrous sections Of the West where scie y
| tlhc farming Is at Its best the remark 1hie
! Yields per acre (such as sixty bushels ot
| corn or over are produced on land which.
| repeatediy plowed and cross plowed a
] half a dozen times or more
| The soil thus turned w ahsorhs. 1uan-
! titles of nitrogen from the air and feeds
| IL to the nlant-the greater the number ~
| plowings tho moro abundant me plAnt-
| food-and hence the resulting yield. Con,
! verselS II would seem 10 follow, nnt1rallY
| that soil only slightly cultivated must ne
/ moor I'm plant-food, and unable 10 proneriy
! supnort n stalk made large ana rank be.
| yond the average by an over-abnndance Of
Tho present situation in Louisiana Ms
| sIsslppi and parts OF Texas can. we be-
| ieve he plainly traced 10 the easy start
! ~ n claw mans crop" which now nrom-
Uses to yield thr usual result IN poor
| mans crop" wherever such conditions pre-
SiIc,Eiroys Bureau Of Cotton Information.