The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-06
. COTTON.

New York. July 5.-The monthly and weekly government reports upon the cot ton crop issued today really stagger the imagination in their suggested possibilities of the yield. The condition of the crop on the 18th of June Is said to have been SS as compared with 83 a month ago, v year ago and an average of 84S for the past ten years As compared with last year the crop shows an improvement Of II per cent, which added to an increase of acreage of 9 per cent, indicates total increase of 20 per cent on last years figures. or a crop in excess of twelve mi- lion bales. This assumes that conditions from the first of July to the end of the season will be as bad as they were last year, an assumption very unlikely of realization. The weekly weather report which covers the period which has elapsed since the date of the monthly report, in- dicates still further advance. stating that "an improvement in cotton is gen erally indicated throughout the cotton belt for the past week" 1 subjoin specimen extracts from the correspondence reach ing me today in regard to the crop out look. In the face of such reports as these there seems to be little incentive to buy cotton. and spinners in my opln- ion will do well to limit purchases to their actual needs from day to day. If the fruition of the crop justifes its pres ent promise they will undoubtedly be able to buy much more cheaply one or two months hence than they can now. The world will consume this year barely ten million bales of American cotton and when the trade realizes, it shortly will, that 1t is confronted with a possible sup ply of twelve million bales, prices must fall to point that will stimulate con sumption. At present the tendency seems to be still in the direction of its contract ton. The following are the crop reports ref tn a
 Alexandria, La, June 90.--Crop pros poets in this section continue ideal. Last afternoon there was good general rain. followed today by dry, hot weather. One of the largest merchants on Red river, at Coushatta, tells me this afternoon that he hardly sees. from the exceptionally favorable conditions that have been, how any serious disaster could now overtake tke crop. This may be a little exaggera- ted, but 1t anyhow serves to show what exceptional weather has so far been the rule.
 Hope. Ark. July 2.-Up 70 date the cot ton crop now maturing is ideaL-J F. Hardin.
 Ben Hur, Tex. June 30.-The cotton crop Is making very rapidly now. We have a few boil weevils on almost every farm, though they are very few in num- Der and their damage is very light.-M Marx X co.
 Waco Tex. July 2-Since my last let- ter l have been over Central and South ern Texas and must say I do not see how the cotton crop could be improved on, only actually mature1 and picked. Present outlook points to bumper yield. larger than ever in Texas. The plant Is putting on fruit very fast; the wealth CT all that could be desired. A new bale will be in here In two weeks or less and with no serious setback within the next thirty days, the Texas crop will be a per- feet one. The increase in government re- port should show Texas fully 12 to 15 per cent over last report. In several in- stances where complaint was made of damage by weevl, by investigation I find that some weevils are there, but the dam age only small. and with continued hot weather like existing at present time they will not do much damage. In fact. where the weevl has been doing most damage in former years, the crop is the most hattering Unless the bureau shows S9 or better here, their informa- tion is incorrect. Texas should show full ly 95.-S. l.. Hart
 Charlotte. N. C.. June 20.-We are nov