The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-11-02

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Texas aione,~2e e ISIS asa sos
My total es1..... 10 $40
Hester commercial crop. is sas 4, 80 - Il,
Hester's actual growth $500. IS ssS II sci II $50
hy estimate OF ditto 1885 II Ss5 ESQ
Including Indian Territory. " Minimum.
Two years ago my estimate was
published on November Is. In II T
said: \ killing frost having occurred
over practically the entire cotton belt.
there can be no further development,
As Yet this season there has been no
general killing frost, and there il 4
probability that some top crop Will
mature in Texas and elsewhere. In
less, however. the date OF killing frost
royes phenomenally late. believe [
have in above estimate allowed SUI
fclentiy for any addition from this
source. On the other hand, should
one occur n the near future and be
followed by rains. the above figures
will assurtdly prove to be several hun
dred thousand bales too large.
In the Carolinas and Georgia the
crop is spotted, but on the whole not
far behind last year. There is no
doubt that a smaller acreage was
planted, and in my Judgment the
stands are not so good and there has
been more shedding and premature
opening. Generally speaking, the
plants are very irregular in size. This
gives the fields a ragged appearance.
Many were picked clean. These were
my observations during the last DAYS
OF September and first of October u
they differ considerably from what I
saw last year at about the same date.
| estimate that these States are about
500, 600 bales behind last years rec
ord crop. The recent widespread hail
storm in northwestern Georgia is sup
posed to have destroyed about $4,000
bales.
Alabama crop is in nowise compar
able to the above. owing TO 8 les IA
vorable spring and a dryer and much
hotter summer. AS a rule the stands
are very bad and the plants extremely
small. In the central part of the
State I saw a considerable amount Of
very late and poorly boiled cotton,
which will make scarcely anything I'M
less frost is greatly delayed. II was
very fortunate for this cotton that the
killing frost which occurred in the
northern tier Of counties on the night
of the 18th inst. extended no farther
South. [ consider this State has one
OF the poorest yields to the acre in
years.
mississippi also shows the effects
of the late and wet spring and very
hot summer. TIL plants are gener-
ally small and spindly and the stand
wretched. noticed as far north as
Yazoo City and from 20 miles west
of Meridian almost to NickSburg ef-
fects of the storm of the 21St ult,
Everywhere the larger plants were
Frustrated, with branches twisted and
many broken. ! was told that a good
deal Of cotton was blown out n lost,
but [ saw 10 such amount on the
ground as | did after the storm Of
September %, 1906. In the southwest
ern counties the boil weevil has been
extremely destructive. l examined
near Natchez 8 umbe of fields
where they had practically destroyed
the crop. The most intelligent cotton
| ~anters and merchants there are
unanimous IN the belief that Adams
county will not make 1000 bales.
against nearly $4,000 last year. Kill
ing frost has already visited the
northern part of the State. IL it is
delayed elsewhere for two or three
weeks, some DOLLS will mature that
the farmers just now ignore.
In Louisiana and Oklahoma the
feature this year is the enormous re-
duction in cotton acreage and the cor
responding acreage in other crops,
principally corn; but grass, alfalfa. su-
gar and rice have all been tried, and
as a rule with fairly satisfactory re-
suits. It will be remembered the gov
eminent estimated that the cotton
acreage was reduced III louisiana 90
per cent"
If Mr.. Nefll is right-or If Liver
pool accepts his figures and acts upon
them. cotton may be expected TO go TO
fifteen cents. J. w. Soady, of ShreFe-
port. whose estimates for the past
three years have been remarkably
near the actual crop, thinks the crop
will not exceed ~10,750.OO0 bales.
Cotton and cotton mill men
should read all that is written BY cot
ton men and use their best, judgment.