The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-04
POOR COTTON CROP
IN MISSISSIPPI
Farmers Are Holding for Bet
ter Price Later On
STORMS CAUSE DAMAGE
States Crop Will Be Much Smaller Al
though the Acreage This Season
Is Greater-AgricuItu High
School Course Is Good.

jackson, Miss, october Especial. y
Cotton has been coming in very slowly
at this market the disposition of the
farmers being to hold on just as long as
possible. They know that they have a
very poor crop-the sorriest they have
ever had, and they are confident that
prices are going to be considerably better
than they are now, though 10 cents is be-
ing paid here today and that is a great
deal better than they expected when
they pitched their crops last spring.
The compress here reports that it has
received during the present season 1867
bales of cotton. as against 6613 last year
to the same date. and that means a
shortage of 1916 bales.
There have been shipped from this point
this year-that is during the month of
September-2073 bales, against 1866 last
year for the same time
There were on hand here at The close
of business the night of September 30
2594 bales, as against 3547 the same day
last year.
The number of bales compressed here
this season to date is 1913, as against 1899
for the same time last year.
The receipts on the last day of the
fret month of the present year were 1871
bales, against 2S9 the year before for
the same day.
This slow movement of the crop is due
to some extent to the holding moven, mt
ordered and encouraged by the Farmers
union, but the union represents but
small per cent of the farmers and cotton
raisers of the state. Other reasons must.
therefore, be looked into as a solution
of the small receipts at the congresses
of the state, and there is no other save
the fact that the crop is very short be-
cause of the several disasters that have
overtaken it during the growing period.
The season for planting was very late
because of the wet. cold weather, cult
walton was delayed on account of the
overfiows of rains, the wet season being
followed by two months of the dryest,
hottest weather ever experienced here.
These were followed by the worst wind
and transforms that ever visited this sec
ton, and many thousands of bales of cot
ton were knocked out on the ground and
destroyed.
Superintendent Heyland of the peniten-
tiary farms was in the city today on
tour of inspection of the several farms
D6iOUSlnB " the Sldl6, anu On WHICH
about 1900 convicts are employed. He
came down from the big farm in Sunfiow-
er county the night previous and spent
the day on the Rankin farm, leaving to-
morrow for Holmes county, to look after
the Belmont farm.
Asked about his prospects for crops.
Captain Heyland stated that he would
make at least 1000 less bales of cotton
this year than he did last even though
he has in cultivation 700 acres more rich
land The cotton crop produced by the
convicts last year was 800 bales, but II
the state gets more than 1000 this year
the superintendent will be the worst sur
prised man in the land.
The foods of the early spring, the cold
weather later on, the dry spell after that
and the wind of a few days since, have
all played havoc with the cotton crop
and ruined a great deal of corn, cane
and rice not only for the state. but for
individual farmers, many of whom will
not make a half crop says the superin-
tendent
Since the storm Of Monday night a week
ago Superintendent Heyland has not
picked a lock of cotton on the Sunfower
farm, but has had his entire working
force picking up that cotton that had been
blown out of the boil and beaten into
the ground. He states that he has picked
up about $50 bales in this way-enough
to have ruined the sample and the grade
of his entire crop if mixed in with the
crop that was not blown off the stalks,
and which will be picked and stored and
ginned separately.
Superintendent of Education Powers
has received very encouraging letter
from Or. S. A. Knapp of the department
OF agriculture, and special agent in
charge of the Farmers demonstration
work, in which he indorses and praises
the course being pursued in this state
in the establishment of agricultural high
schools In the several counties and de-
claring that he long since made up his
mind they were more satisfactory than
the district high schools that have been
created in some of the states.
Dr. Knapp promises that he will rem
der every possible assistance to the state
of Mississippi along this line, and states
that he is coming down to make an in
spection of the work that is being done
as soon as he can spare the time.