The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-06
CROP CONDITIONS
At VERY LOW EBB
Hon. Charles Scott Tells of
Situation In Mississippi
DELTA IN VERY BAD SHAPE
Lands Have Been Under Water for
Some Time and Grass Has Taken
the Cotton in a Great
Many Counties.
DELTA IN VERY BAD SHAPE

grower OIL cotton IN the world, not even
excepting the Khedive of Egypt was
in Jackson today, en- route to Semln-
airy, Covington county wher he was
scheduled for an address before tho
Confederate veterans at their county
reunion.
AS stated Mr.. Scott is a large cot
ton grower. He owns and controls
score or more of great plantations in
the delta country, and raises thousands
of bales of cotton annually. For that
reason he is authority the condi-
tion of the cotton crop-the best per
haps in the state for the reason that
there is none of the pessimist about
sim.
About four weeks ago Mr. Scott was
in Jack son. That was about the Sec
ond week of the heavy rains that had
swollen all the creeks and rivers In
this region, overlooked all bottom
lands and washed away the hillsides
Being asked then as to the damage
to crops in his territory Mr.. Scott stated
the damage was not more than or
per cent. His estimate was thought
are he was correct as to the delta
country. He was largely interested
and had taken occasion to look closely
into conditions. If the rains had stop
ped then, all would have been well
with the farmers. But the rains never
stopped-they have not stopped yet,
and the lands overlooked more than
month since are still wet and the
crops thereon have never received their
first workings. The grass has taken
possession of the best lands In the
state and even if destroyed now could
not mature a crop of cotton.
Crop conditions today" says Mr..
Scott, ARE the worst 1 have ever seen,
and have been engaged in farming
a great many years. 1 do not see
how we are to make anything worth
is simply distressing"
Mr. Scott has never been an alarm
ist he>always takes an optimistic view
of the case, but this time he seems to
have made up his mind that the situa-
tlon is the most desperate he has ever
known. lie is backed up in this opir.-
ion by every planter and every cean-
Try merchant who has been 10 jack
son In a month. Ten years ago there
was a long wet spell of weather in
tais section, but the rains We're not
SO heavy ana such a vast aera Of Gull
tivatesd ldn6 was not overfiowed.
George r. Hightower, president of the
Farmers union, and citizen of the
northern part of the state, who was in the
city yesterday looking after business at
headquarters, left on the night train for
Waiter Valley, where he had an engage
ment to speak today.
President Hightower has been travelling
around over the state considerably here
Of late, and has had exceptional opportun-
tiles for noting the condition of the cot
ton and other crops. Being asked about
them he declared they are the sorriest
he ever saw in his life. He never saw
such grassy crops before, and does not
see how the farmers are going to make
anything. .
THE condition is very much the same
all over the state said Mr.. Hightower.
Now and then ] notice small piece of
tolerably clean cotton, but that Is just
| in spots. Grassy crops are the rule
4
weather have been general from one end
| of the state to the other"
Asked as to how he Is getting along with
| his subscriptions to the great warehouse
plan, President Hightower said as well
| as was ever overwhelmingly, in fact.
| But for the wet spring he would have
| done much better than was expected at
| the beginning of the campaign. The
| farmers are rallying to the support of
| the plan generously in spite Of the hard
| lines into which they have fallen on ac-
! count of the bad farming season, and he
does not doubt the success of the enter
| prise.
| The directors of the Mississippi State
| Fair association have determined to give
more encouragement to mule raising than
| heretofore, and with that end in view
| have doubled up the premiums on young
mules so as to read as follows: $50 for
the best Mississippi raised mule, $50 for
| the best herd of Mississippi raised mules,
| not less than eight; $25 for the best herd
| of yearlings, $25 for the best herd of q
year-olds, not less than four in, each
| herd.
The state of Mississippi spends many
| thousands of dollars per annum in the
| purchase of mules from the state of Mis-
| souri,, Tennessee and Kentucky the trus-
tees Of the penitentiary being In the mar
| ket every year for about 100 animals, and
| the fair management proposes to see II
| it cannot encourage its patrons to raise
! them at home at a much smaller cost.