The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-31
POOR CROPS, SAYS POOLE Reduction of Cotton Acre
 age in Alabama. AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT Counties Report Much Grass
 and Labor Scarce. Commissioner of Agriculture Declares That Conditions are Worse Than
 at Any Time Since 1873.
 Farmers Gloomy.

l lOtct COltoH CIOp COAQiliOhSs thV uN- favorable weather and the scarcity of labor. l In an official statement issued yes- terday from the Agricultural Depart ment. prepared from the reports of 800 correspondents, 1t is shown that cotton acreage has been reduced 1901 | per cent from last year and that the reduction in use of commercial fertil- izers has been eight per cent. The season is three weeks late and the condition of the cotton crop is placed at 70 per cent. Reports were received from every county in the State except Baldwin. Mobile. Franklin and Shelby.
 The correspondents reports show an increase in the acreage of corn and minor crops are reported to be in good condition. statment of Crop Conditions. l The official statement issued by the department is as follows: l Owing to the widespread interest in the cotton situation. this Depart ment has made an extraordinary effort to obtain an accurate report of condi- tions as they exist in Alabama. We have received reports from about 500 of our correspondents. and from these reports we find that there ia re- duction in acreage of cotton of 12.o1 | per cent as compared with last year. We have received reports from fer tilizer manufacturers showing that 6 per cent of the entire sales of fertil- izer tags will be returned to this office 1 for redemption; the amount of fertili- ger carried over, now in the hands of merchants. and upon which tags have already been placed. will amount to about two per cent, making reduc- ton of s per cent in the use of com mercial fertilizers as compared with last year. Our correspondents begun sending | in their reports about May 18th; since that time excessive rains have fallen throughout the entire State, making the crops very grassy and difficult to lcultivate; every correspondent reports labor scarce, and not sufficient to cul- tivate crops planted. The season is about three weeks late. From reports received and from all information we can gather, we would place conditions of the cotton crop at 70 per cent. | owing to weather conditions, con- siderable land now planted in cotton. | will be abandoned, causing a further reduction in acreage.
 There has been an increase of 5 per cent in acreage planted in corn; stands are good, and the hill corn is very fine, hut bottom corn has suffer- ed from excessive wet weather. All minor crops and gardens are fin good condition. We will ehdeavor to include this in our July report" Reports From Counties. The department also issued a de- tailed statement of acreage reduction and condition of the cotton crop in Alabama by counties ,as follows: Autauga, 10 per cent, three weeks late and very grassy. Baldwin, no report. Barbour, 12 per cent, two weeks late. very grassy, labor scarce. Bibb. 10 per cent, three weeks late' very grassy.
 Blount, 20 per cent ten days late.
 Bullock. 10 per cent. normal condi- ton good.
 Butler, 10 per cent, normal.
 Calhoun, 20 per cent, ten days late and grassy.
 Chambers. IT per cent, ten days late. very grassy, labor scarce.
 Cherokee, 20 per cent, two weeks late, very grassy.
 Chiffon, 20 per cent. ten days late, grassy. labor scarce.
 Choctaw, 10 per cent, two weeks late and very grassy.
 Clarke. per cent, two weeks late,
 
 Clay. 12 per cent, normal, grassy.
 CIeburne. 12 per cent. good, grassy.
 Coffee. IS per cent, good, grassy and late.
 Colbert. 15 per cent. grassy and late.>
 Conecuh, 10 per cent, grassy, lousey and labor scarce.
 Coosa, IS per cent. three weeks late, very grassy, labor scarce. routu Is Der cent. very grassy. in bad shape.
 Crenshaw, per cent. one week late, condition good. Cullman, IS per cent, very grassy, ten days late.
 Dale, 10 per cent. very grassy. labor scarce, two weeks late.
 Dallas. 10 per cent, very grassy, ten days late.
 two weeks late.
 Fillmore. per cent. very grassy. la- bor scarce.
 Escambia, 25 per cent. very grassy, two weeks late.
 Etowah. 10 per cent, very grassy.
 Fayette, IS per cent. very grassy. two weeks late.
 Franklin, no report. Geneva. 12 per cent, very grassy. two weeks late.
 Greene. per cent. very grassy, ten days late.
 Hale. 10 per. cent, very grassy, two weeks late.
 Henry, 10 per cent. very grassy. la bor scarce.
 Houston, IS per cent, very grassy. Jackson, 20 per cent, good, normal. Jefferson. 10 per cent. very poor and late
 Lamar none. Very grassy. two weeks late.
 Lauderdale. 8 per cent. very grassy, two weks late.
 Lawrence. per cent. very grassy, ten days late. Lee. I5 per cent. very grassy. normal. Limestone. 10 per cent good, early. Lowndes. 8 per cent. grassy. one week late. Macon. 5 per cent. normal Madison IS fer cent. normal. Marengo, 10 per cent grassy. late. Marion, Is per cent normal, late. Marshall. 20 per cent. grassy, one week late. Mobile. no report. Monroe. IS per cent. very grassy. lice,
 Montgomery 12 per cent. normal. two | weeks late.
 Morgan. 5 per cent. good. normal. Perry. 8 per cent. grassy one weok late.
 Pickens. 12 per cent very grassy. ten
 Pike. per cent. no report on condi- Randolph. 10 per cent. grassy. nor nal