Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1907-08-07
COTTON CROP ESTIMATE
Commissioner Watson Issues Inter
esting Table Showing Results Of
Investigations Throughout the
sts4a.


esting Table Showing Results OF
Investigations Throughout the
State.
Commissioner E: j: Watson has
after much work, issued aii entire
summary of the conditions id South
Carolina. The report on cotton is, ot
course; the NEST important, but Mr.
Watson has gone ihtd tdhditions at:
fecting corn; tobacco; and other crops
and in addition gives statistics con.
cerning the increase in acreage. Tho
entire REPORT will be published in full
In the handbook to be issued shortly
~ the department.; but in the mean,
time is given in pamphlet form fol
the benefit sf the South Carolina
farmer. A study of the figures be
low will be interesting.
General Summary.
Approaching the need of d mid;
season report on the condition 6f the
cotton crop Of South Carolina this
Department has attempted to get the
most accurate information dbtainable
fr6m every. county in the State. Re:
ports have been obtained from men OF
highest character in all parts of the
State and the information given here
iii is perhaps as accurate as it is pos
sible to stcure by any human .mears.
South Carolina cotton crop for the
past six years has reached proper
tions that now make the average crop
in this State crop of 956,672 bales
worth $42,597, ,S31, and her manufac-
turing development has grown to such
an extent that the cotton mill plants
are consuming total of 761, ,41O bales
giving annual production worth $751;
341, 1,6S9; thus more closely bringing
together the cotton manufacturer and
the cotton grower of the State.
The Most careful tabtilati6h and az
alysis of the reports that have been
filed, taking every phase of existing
conditions into account makes the
condition of the 1907 crop at this date
sos per cent. as against 72 per cent.
last year at the same date and O con-
dition Of 70 per cent: at the first of
July Of this year. There has been a
steady improvement in. the condition
Of cotton since the opening of the sea-
son; in marked contrast to the det-
eriefation betweei1 Jdly and August
Of last year, but there has not been
that rapid Improvement that clfarae-
te1ized the crop in the maximum crop
year of 1904. The present season,
however, opened with practically the
s6me Temperature c6hditions as pre-
vailed In 1906, 1904 and 1908; bit the
June temperature was lower this year
than in any of the years named with
the exception Of 1903. The July tenn
perature conditions have been about
the same FOR each month during the
last seven years.
The rainfall during May was AL
inches, which was not SO much greater
than that ia 1906 efsless than that of
1906, bit was double what was re-
corded In May, 1904 The June rain
fal tl1a,,t hat -:lsl;t
and not SO much more than that. Of
1904. The figures for the July rain
fall are not yet available, but they
will probably be in the vicinity OF the
average figures for seven years. Un-
questionakly the crop is From two to
three weeks late over the entire State
but the continuing showers and rain
falls and the hot weather that has
characterized the closing weeks of
July have been Of most material bell
eft.
As a consequences of the severe
setback during the month of May and
the backwardness Of the crop it may
be said that the crop is more than
usually dependent on the weather
conditions of the month Of August,
upon the absence Of an early killing
frost and upon a good picking season.
In requesting the condition reports
from the various counties estimates
Of probable harvest results were also
asked for. The estimates sent in, care
fully tabulated and calculated indi-
cate with good conditions the final
production of crop of approx
mately 9S4,153 bales. This is hot Civ
EN- as an estimate, however, because
of what has just been said of the
necessary dependence of the crop
upon the conditions prevailing during
the month of August. 1t seems cer-
tain however that the crop this year
under TO circumstances can reach the
figures of 1854 or 1905.
: Twelve counties in the State have
reported decreases of acreages rang
ing from 5 per cent. to 25 per cent.
and four counties have reported in
creases Of 5 per cent. each. There
seems to have been a decrease Of
about 4 per cent. in the acreage.
Eight counties report having increas-
ed their fertilizer purchases by from
5 per cent. to 25 per cent. and eight
counties report decreases of from 10
per cent. to 25 per cent. six of these
being 25 per cent.
Early in the season there seems 10
have been considerable replanting
necessary. Very few losses are le-
ported, however, from hail and other
storms, and the crop thus far has
been remarkably free from damage by
rust, shedding or ravages of insects
These three difficulties have been ell
countered in small areas only in var
ious portions of the State.