The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-02
GREAT DIFFERENCE AS
 TO CONDITION OF FIELDS
Reports From Scattered Sections of
 State Vary.
Amcunt of Yield, To Large Extent, DeDends Upon Amount of Labor Expended-Cotton Ia Spotted
 At All Points.

con, there seems to be no question to the fact that the cotton crop on the whole throughout the State has made further satisfactory progress during the past week of favorable weather.
 At the beginning of last week com plaints were coming from all over the State that rain was needed. but the re- ports emanating from the various counties at the end of the week stated that the weather was generally favor able and that the needed moisture had been forthcoming. The weather map for the past week showed four days of clear, sunshiny weather. and two days of rain. The reports say that the rain was very beneficial and came at just the right time.
 The reports also show a great dis parity as to the prospects and the ad- vancement of the crop. Of course the crop Is spotted and as one man put 1t yesterday, q have cotton from one foot high in some places to other places where the plant would hide your head. It all depends on where 1t has been worked and the attention and cultiva- ton given It."
 Where the crop was not worked quick enough. there Is considerable Of 1t yet in grass, which probably will stay there until frost as 1t would in- lure the cotton stock now just as much as 1t would do the plant good to try to eradicate the grass. Where a farmer kept up with his work there never was better week in cotton. and conse- quentiy the cotton plant shows a great Improvement, as nature could not have done more for It. The number of acres abandoned earlier in the season and the number of acres left in the grass will no doubt reduce the general yield. notwithstanding the fine outlook for part of the crop.
 Even in Montgomery County. which district experts say shows the most marked improvement Of any section, and which bids fair to recover almost in full the crop Is still spotted. On the high lands the fertilized cotton has im- proved wonderfully and Is now fruit ing well, but the cotton In the lowlands is not fruiting so good. The low land cotton usually produces the best sta- pie and the fruiting. too. is generally excellent.
 The Montgomery County Crop is still improving under the favorable weather conditions existing in thls section the past week. The two days rain came at the right time and exactly what all the planters wanted. During the week 1t was work. work. work. with the plant CTS trying hard to bring up to the standard. that part of their crop which got behind in the earlier part of the season. The crop this year has been the hardest crop to work for several years and as one man stated yesterday, "This crop has cost more labor and has been the hardest crop to manage that I have experienced for the last twenty five years"
 Various opinions exist throughout the county. Some planters say their crop this year is better than 1t was last year at this tirne while others report that theirs is up to the normal condi- tions. still others have spotted crops with some sections very fine and other sections still in grass. The answer seems to be the amount of work and attention given the crop in these dif- ferent sections.
 Some planters are beginning to re- port caterpillars and many of them have already put in a supply of paris green to cope with this pest.
 The corn crop throughout the county Is about the same as the cotton. The crop shows the effect of the work and of sugar cane planted in this county , doing well. according to reports.
 AUTAUGA
 Prattville, Aug. 1.-(Special) )-With but little rain in any section of this county for the past week, and a large portion of the county there has not been any rain at all. the cotton crop has deteriorated rapidly.
 Cotton in its most hopeful condition since the excessive rains passed has not promised better than a wo-thirds crop here, and since the drought set in there are very few estimates that put 1t as high as two-thIrds of crop. The same old complaint of the weed being too small to sustain a full crop. and that there is now no time for growth g the weed, 1t Is conceded here that a crop Is impossible.
 Corn that was late in being work ed out has been needing rain. and for want of rain at this time, the crop in many parts of this county has been cut below 50 per cent of an average crop of the section.
 It Is reported almost unanimously from the northern part of this county that the corn crop will not average better than half crop; and 1t is well to state, too. this is a secuon of AutauRa County where nineteen-twentieths of the farmers make all the corn they use And they say they have planted more this season than usuAi Farmers give just as gloomy a prospect for cotton crop in that section as for a corn crop
 Practically all the vegetables are dead. Truck gardeners have nothing 10 sell but okra water-melons, etc. The bulk of the peach crop routed during the rains. The demand for vegetables