Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-14
THE CONDITION OF CROPS.

me GUNDlllUN UT ChOrS.
At this date. July 10th. the prospects are
anything but bright for a successful har-
vest Of the south's two principal field
crops-corn and cotton
Over q large area OF the belt the corn
crop IS already q failure. and fields that
looked promising ten days ago are now
rapidly whiting under the torrid rays OF
the sun and a whitening, blasting, dry
wind. / have noticed number Of fields OF
corn which show no disposition now 70
six. Notwithstanding the tassle has al
ready fully developed. The corn tops
through middle and southern Georgia are
dying rapidly, and from such stalks moth
Ing can be expected but forage Even II
the shoots appear. the grain on the ear
wiz be stunted and undeveloped.
While showers and thunderstorms have
been scattering in this state and others.
no general rains have fallen over the belt
~ relief. particularly when they are fol-
lowed BY hot. blistering winds. which force
rapid and incessant evaporation.
. What We need badly at once are general
rains. followed by several days Of cloudy
weather. At this time. however. the
weather bureau reports hold out no hope
for q change IN the existing condition OF
continuous dry weather. High barome-
tiers are reported from all sections Of the
country east OF the Rockies. and some
days. perhaps another week or two. must
elapse before relief is given. maybe longer.
IL Is now too late TO plant corn expecting
. crop. except on very rich upland or fer
the bottoms Even then conditions from
now on viii have 20 be extremely favOra-
bic 70 mature good ears To predict at
this tine q general failure Of the sOuths
corn crop Is not a wild prophecy.
The corn crop OF Texas has already been
harvested and shredded up into forage.
the long drought there having made the
development Of the ears a failure. Last
year there was but little corn produced I'm
the south, owing In some areas TO
drought. and IN others 10 excessive rains
and freshets. Thousands Of farmers were
therefore necessitated 10 buy both corn
and meat at enormously high figures.
which greatly increases the cost OF cotton
production this year, and from the present
outlook. IL appears that the same thing
viii have to be endured again Surely. the
days.
The Cotton Crop.
Naturally the state OF the weather dur
ing the past six weeks has had deteri-
Grating and retarding effect upon the
growth and development OF the great
money staple crop OF the south Con-
tinuous east winds and cool mornings
some weeks ago propagated millions OF
lice in many sections which seriously in
jured the plant before hot sunshine and
other enemies OF this plant insect had
fnterfered 70 check their spread and re-
duce their injury.
Not only have lice. hot sunshine and
blistering winds done great damage. but
ft Is now reported that the army worm
and Mexican boil weeviI are present IN
many fields A recent Associated Press
dispatch from a Mississippi correspondent
gives the unwelcOme tidings that the boil
weevil has appeared In cotton fields just
east OF the Mississippi. II had been hoped
that this most injurious OF all insects TO
the cotton plant would not only be con-
hned 20 western Texas. but that IL would
n a few years be exterminated-
Their appearance east OF the Mississippi
may well excite alarm among the cotton
producers in the old states. because II
nothing is done 10 check their advance
the cotton industry viii receive the most
serious check IL has ever had TO encoun-
ter. They were doubtless imported
through the purchase Of planting seed
from the infected regions OF the Brazos
country and called particular attention
70 this danger two years ago in discus
sing the life and habits OF this peculiar
insect The black root rot Is also spread
ing and may be noticed in south Georgia
10 q greater or lesser extent in all fields
this year planted in cotton.
The June crop this year viii amount
70 but little except in favored sections
where rainfall has been abundant since
the termination OF the plant Under ex-
isting conditions squares and small bOlls
forming and developing in July will either
fan on or become dwarfed and puny.
Just what we may expect from August
Is az course an unknown quantity al this
time. Suffice II TO say that there cannot.
except almost by a miracle be a record
breaking crop OF cotton harvested the
coming season If present conditions con-
rfnue much longer, Notwithstanding the
2s.o00.oo0 acres planted. the crop is not
likely 10 turn out as many bales as were
harvested during the season Of 1901
curtailing Production.
The Associated Press dispatches from
the large spinning centers Of this cOun-
try and Europe already indicate a deter
mination Of manufacturers TO curtail pro-
ductf0n Of cotton goods by running their
mills on shorter time There are two rea-
sons advanced for this change. The first
and most weighty is that there is not
now enough cotton in the market and IN
the hands OF manufacturers 20 keep the
epsndIes going on fun time until Septem-
her. and a cotton famine can only be
avoided BY cutting down the daily output
OF the mills
The other reason. which puts the mills
on the defensive. Is that a large part Of
the staple Is now I'm the hands Of specu-
lators who bought their holdings at low
urices from the producers last winter and
are now demanding high prices. recogniz-
ing as they do The true value OF the staple
and the scarcity OF the commodity. II the
mills therefore can. BY agreement. enter
into a system OF curtaflment Of manufac-
ture and run on short time for the next
81 DAYS until the new crop comes I'm. they
feel that they can as usual buy cotton