The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-06-16


Cultivation.--we learn from various
sources throughout our territory that
Killed i there q ds Sun 81 a great deal TO
be done IN this direction. since lapor
u insufficient to, cope with conditions
brought about by the protracted rainy
spell which ended about ten days ago;
we, therefore hear from some sections
that there has never been ETAOlN
that there - stiil considerable per-
centage Of cotton which has never
ditions labor would have been ade-
quate to keep the fields In good state
OF cultivation. The small "cropper"
who farms on shares usually gets his
crop worked out and is then In position
to hire out to the large planter who
makes his crop with hired labor. but
At this time this class Of labor. that 10
the ,cropper." Is still busy trying to
get his own crop out OF the grass.
Progress. We think this is still two
weeks behind.
General Remarks Having received
q great many conflicting statements
about the condition OF the crop we had
one OF our reliable travellers out all
| last week In Southeast Alabama maxi
ing q personal Investigation and we
give you below his report in detail:
tcrenshaw County, the crop is small
and grassy, but Is being cleaned rap
idly and with week more OF sunshine
Will De IN 1alEly kOO0 shape. Inc
heavy rains In this section have ham
dtcapped cultivation Iseriously. This
| same condition prevails through the
country to Troy tPike County. From
pious. and there is gradual Improve.
ment the further south one goes untfl
in the territory adjacent to Abbeville
lHenry County,. Dothan Houston
va County,, the crops (both cotton and
corn). are In splendid condition and
could hardly be Improved upon. They
are free of gras, well advanced and
Gus and well bodied. This same con-
dition prevails IN and around Enter
prise tConee County, and Ozark (Dale
County, 1t must be borne In mind.
conditions obtain the seS.ons are al
ways several weeks ahead Of the ball
ance Of the State. Thus. you will see
this particular section OF the State
s Cnnn cdnS Se taken as an index to gem
I'm Barbour and Bullock counties
conditions are not near so favorable
and grass is very much In evidence,
| wnile the very worst conditions pos
sibJe prevail from Montgomery due
| east to the Georgia line in Montgomery,
Macon and Russell counties and 1t will
take ideal seasons from now on with
no further setbacks to make anything
ike an average crop. In fact 1t Is
doubted ~ many II they can now
get ahead OF the grass. 1t is every
Where In the burrows and in the mid
ales In large clumps. In Lee county,
the farmers have made eonsidera Bile
headway during the past week and in
q Few more days will have clean fields
though throughout this whole terri
tory the cotton plant Is small
| yours truly,
Marks and Gayle"
Folowtng is report from a relia BILE
crop observer regarding the conditions
existing esig in Mississippi, together with
Magnolia, Brookhaven to jackson.
hill crops being rapidly worked out,
ana taken as whole In good shape.
Jackson to Vicksburg very spotted ana
generally poor. Immediately along Big
loss.
vicksburg to Rolling Fork, poor, but
being rapidly worked out. This Sec
ton almost q total failure last year.
Rolling Fork to Greenville, from poor
TO extremely poor, very foul with
weeds and grass and considerable acre
age to be abandoned or replanted.
Sreenville to Clarksdale. very spot
TED. where worked out looks well, but
much yet, to be worked. Clarksdale
TO Memphis generally good, clean and
xd Ys9oo city to Greenwood embraces
ton had five to eight inches greater
rainfall than balance.
Taking the Delta as a unit would
say about 40 per cent good. clean and
well worked and SO per cent poor to
extremely poor. and "swamped" in
grass and weeds, and sadly in need OF
cultivation. 1t would take another
week or ten days OF perfect weather
to put the Delta On good shape -.-fs.s
Ground IL packed In many places,
particularly black waxy--commonl
| called buck shot land--making cuiti-
walton slow and tedious Scattered
showers or even one good rain would
be beneficial. but continuous or heavy
rains would put a large area OF the
Delta, riverside Of Arkansas and Louis.
lana. In such shape that 1t would be
almost impossible to recover FROM
BY referring to maps you can keep
In close touch with this section unti)
my next trip.
The quick Transformations brought
about In the above mentioned sections
are resultant from three causes:
First--An endeavor to cultivate a
maximum of acreage with a minimum
force,
second-Defective drainage, to in
many cases no drainage at all.
Third-Antiquated methods, with
proves disastrous when seasons are
not fully normal, to-wit, 1903, '05, 'O7
and other years. too numerous to men,
ton.
II the same methods of scientific
drainage, carefully prepared lands.
ments. were pursued in the Delta az
| in Georgia, Carolinas and Southern
Alabama, similar results would be OBJ
tanned. There are few exceptions
to the above rule, and where these
exceptions exist tn crops are in excel
lent shape. Notwithstanding the heavy
| rains, but as a whole it's a rotten con-
dftton not wholly attributed to wealth