The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-30
AgricuItural Department
CONDUCTED sY FULTON s. WHITE.

caused by so much cool, wet weather The planting of a late crop has been pre- vented largely by bad weather and the want of seed. The potato crop will be a short one this year.
 The Cotton Crop.
 This crop has made but a feeble growth since my last report. However, the weather now Is changing for the better, and where the crop has had good culuva- tion 1t will grow fast. and with continued favorable weather the crop may yet be better than we can yet reasonably hope for. There has been lots of replanting and in many sections the crop Is getting foul from the continued vet weather.
 The claims that there is a largely in- creased acreage is certainly mistake, and what such claims are based upon cannot see. have travelled since my last report through the leading cotton growing states and am fully convinced that there is not over 80 per cent of last years acre. age planted. and the claims that there Is an increased acreage Is a great mistake. The question is where is the increase in the acreage? The same reports will claim a great increase In the cotton states of wheat and corn, and if this is true, as 1 admit 1t to be. then where does the land come in to make the increase in the cot ton crop; and besides this, we see hun dreds of acres in old cotton stalks not yet planted to any crops. Then there Is the great loss of acreage by overflow and washouts, which cannot be replaced this season.
 Then again, in Texas, the greatest Of all the cotton states, there was a falling off in acreage in the southern part of the state on account of the boil weevil and failing off in the northern part of the state by an increased acreage of wheat, corn oats and truck farming. In the two territories there was an increase In acre. age, but this has been over-balanced by floods, overiows and washouts. In Arkan- saw we find the same conditions. only there Is in this state a greater loss of acreage than in any other state.
 Besides this loss in acreage the condi- tion of the crop is far below what it should be at this season of the year. The crop is badly spotted-some good and some very bad crops. The crop generally Is late small and In most of the states the weeds and grass are getting ahead of the crop. In some sections farmers are yet planting cotton at this late date. There are hundreds of acres of cotton In all the states through which have passed not yet chopped out, and these states include our best cotton states-commencinR with Tennessee and passing on through Ala bama. Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and the two territories. The crops in Alabama and Texas are the best, and are better advanced in growth than they are In the other named states. Then again the crop in these states, Alabama and Texas, has not suffered for cultivation I saw very few fields that had suffered for the want of cultivation. Alabama did not suffer the loss by frost that Texas did but the Texas farmers kept replanting un- til they got good stand Owing to the fine conditions of both the soil and crop, Texas farmers are now very hopeful for a big cotton crop. But the conditions in many of the overhowed sections of Arkan- sas Is far from much promise at this date
 There is so much of the land yet too wet to work and the weeds and grass are getting great start of the crop. CondI- tions are not much better in many sec- tions of Mississippi, Louisiana and the two territories. So summing up the whole situation on the crop at this date I can but conclude that conditions will have to improve fast and that we will have to have favorable fall in order to get any thing like an average crop of cotton.
 Fruit Crops.
 These crops have become an important factor in the makeup. and usually bring in big revenue, so that failure means a great loss to the country In ready cash. rms, In spite or all our expectations is an off year in fruit In both yield and quality. The crop is very scattering. Some few small sections of country have some nice fruit, but in the great commer- cial orchards the crop is light Both peaches and apples were SO badly effected by frost in the frost belt-and this eov- cred nearly all the fruit belt of the west that they have dropped badly and still continue to drop, which will cause still greater loss. In sections in Texas and the territories where we had hoped for few ear loads. we now find that there will be light shipments. and in some of these sections the local dealers will take the whole crop
 Vegetable Crops.
 There Is great shortage of vegetables in many sections and vegetables are In great demand at good prices. Tn nearly all the western markets potatoes are high and sell readily at good prices Roasting ears are in great demand and none vet on the market. Beans, peas, cabbage. and, in fact, all f1rst-class stock of all kinds, Is In good demand at fair prices.