The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-30
DAMAGE TO COTTON
w. H. SEYMOUR DISCUSSES EFFECT
 OF STORM.
Reports From All Sections Of Aiaea'na show That Quality of Staple Has Been Seriously
 Ixauafred.

T have received a large number or letters from all parts of the State fe- garding the damage done to the cotton crop by the recent terrible storm, said w. H. Seymour, President of the Ala bama division of the Southern Cotton Association, yesterday, in speaking or the losses in Alabama from the storm, "and in every instance my correspond ents have spoken of the severe losses from the rain and wind. do not Know. of course. just what the losses VIII amount to, but they will be severe.
 Mir. Seymour was engaged. at the time he was visited by representa- tive of The Advertiser. in sending out large number of postal cards, asking for information of a detailed nature as to the damage to the cotton crop in the various localities of the State. He ex- poets to receive replies to these inqulr- les during the present week.
 MT. Seymour expressed the opinion that 1t would be found that the crop of the product has been damaged severely in quality by the rains and wind. and that some of the cotton has been ab- solutely destroyed. thereby reducing, to some extent, the quantity Of the crop, as well as the quality.
 "The cotton in many sections. and especially in Southern Alabama" said MT Seymour. twas ripe at the time and storm struck. The planters had not been able, with their available hands. to pick it as yet, and much of the cot ton was there in the fields. hanging from the bolls. It was in such shape that 1t would not require much of 8 storm to knock 1t to the ground. and there 1t has of course become consid- erably damaged.
 From the information now at hand, 1t would seem that the fields in the southern part of the State have suffer- ed the most from the storm, as is quite natural they should. Not only about Mobile Bay. but in the southeastern portion of the State, so my correspond- ents state, there has been heavy dam age.
 Tt would be difficult. it not impossi- ble, for any estimate to be made of the damage that has been done, or as to what percentage of the crop has been destroyed I rather think there has been more injury to the quality of the crop than to the amount of the yield"
 Do you think there will be enough damage to affect the price of the pro- duct?" MT. Seymour was asked.
 That Is indeed a hard question to answer" responded MT. Seymour. "The brokers and mill men bought up con- siderable amount of cotton ou futures last fall and it is this cotton, sold long in advance of it's production, that is forming a large portion of that now being delivered' That constitutes a difficult portion of the problem.
 And then, of course, the price of the product Is fixed. to a great extent. by the necessities of the mill men, inde- pendentIy of the amount or quality of cotton on tine market. The bucket shop men. for illustration, despite the ter rife storms that have convulsed the gulf coast during the last few days. have received advices from their prin- cipals that weather conditions are not so good for cotton as they have been It is because of these conditions that it is difficult to say in advance. just what effect the storm and its attendant damage will have upon the price of cotton"