The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-08-26
COTTON CROP DETERIORATION
Dry Weather and Scorchiny Sun
Combine to Ruin Cotton CrOp.

The hot sun of the past two weeks
seems to have formed into a COM
bine with the drought to ruin the cot
ton crop prospects and to destroy a
multitude of the hopes which the
farmers Of this section of the county
had allowed to grow in their breasts.
The crop until this week, had not
had a good hard ran since some time
in June and it had suffered consider
able from the lack Of moisture. With
no moisture the cotton had stopped
growing, but it was managing very
well to hold on to it's fruit and to
look green. The drought, however,
| was not the only thing that the cot
| ton had to contend with. Following
six weeks of steady drought came
two weeks more Of drought with the
hottest weather of the season. This
was too much for the cotton. All Of
he forms on the top Of the cotton
stalks were burned brown-as il the,
| had been fried-and dropped off
into the rows.
What was left was wreck. The
| cotton stalk was parched and vel
low and the fruit on it which was
protected by the leaves had COM
| menced to open before it was ma.
tre. The statement one farmer made
yesterday that the drought and hot
weather had robbed him Of half
! bale Of cotton to the acre was in no
way over-estimating the true condi-
ton Of affairs. While the plant was
| left big with plenty Of leaves on it,
there was not half the fruit on it
there would have been had the sun
not parched it up and caused it to
drop off.
In some places where the cotton
was wide apart or along side the road
II still maintaincd It's green color and
lts full crop Of forms and fruits The
stalks We're still hlOorling and look
ed to oe in soou condition. Ii was
pointed out by the farmer that this
was due to the fact that the cotton
stalks had all Of the roadbed to draw
| moisture from and this had saved
its fruit. This field Of cotton which
a month ago bid fair to make at
least bale to the acre, would prob
ably not make more than half a bale
to the acre, the falling off being due
to the cooking which has been going
on the cotton fields during the past
two weeks.
The young cotton was not quite so
badly off as the old cotton but IL too
showed signs Of having passed
through narrowing experience and
II viii not do as well as it would have
done had the drought not damaged
rs growth.
A statement was made BY one farm
or that the cotton everywhere in his
vicinity was in the same condition.
and this statement was corroborated
by number of other farmers. 1t
was further stated that there were a
greatly many counties in this State
that were just as bad off, and in 9TH
er States which had been visited the
same conditions were prevalent.
Corn had not been damaged as bad
as cotton, but it had been treated
pretty rough by the dry weather.
In many places the stalks had not
had sufficient moisture for the ears to
till out before maturing The fodder
was pretty we'll dried up on the stalks
| and there was little chance of the
| farmer making much rough food un-
less the present rains helped him out
| in his trouble and were in time TO
make hay and peavines in the corn
| fields where they had been plant
| ed after oats.