Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-05-08


five days will decide the fate of the
Georgia cotton crop.
When this week is ended Georgians
and all others Interested in cottor
production will at least have some
idea as to the probable amount of cot
ton which will be raised in the STATE
this year.
If the next five days are not clear
if rain falls and drenches the already
! sopping ground the cotton crop Of
the state will be cut almost in half
If the five days have clear skies and
the sun holds full sway, then ther
is no reason why the state should
not have at least as good crop as
J in 1909.
Ground Five Weeks Behind.
In many instances ground prepara-
ton is five weeks behind-in others it
{ is three weeks late, yet, if the farmer
can plow during the five days remain
| ing in this week, there is a good
chance for fair crop. But every
where from all sections of the state
come reports of ground that is soaked
to the utmost, of flooded valley lands
and hill lands too wet to plow. And
that condition has prevailed since Oc-
tober.
For more than twenty-five years
the South has not witnessed such
weather as that of the past six
months. In 1888 practically the same
amount of rainfall was recorded but
even that year did not suffer from
such severe spells of frigid weather
and in consequence the Southern far
er is badly behind In many sections
no land at all has been prepared for
spring cultivation and the spring is
almost behind. In no section of the
state has any material planting been
done and even where the seeds have
been put in the ground it is feared
| that the continued rain has caused
them to rot.
Every month, save one, since last
; October has showed an excess in rain
fall, and several of the excess farks
shave been heavy ones. Already, this
year, more than 80 inches of rain
have fallen, and the average rainfall
for this state is but 49 inches. More
/ than three-fifths of the average an
nual rainfall has fallen in one-thir1
of a year. If rain continues to fal
during the remainder of the year as
it has done during the first four
months the average rainfull will be
almost doubled. During October, No
vember and December of 1911 there
was an excess of sine six inches,
bringing the total to almost Is inches
thing almost unprecedented.
Farmers Are i'm Panic.
Farmers all over the state are in
a panic and many of them know not
what to day They are afraid to even
think of planting cotton so late as an
| early winter would absolutely ruin the
| crop, yet most of them have never
| planted anything else to any marked
| degree. Whether or not the other
cotton states feel the same Fremont
ton of disaster is not known, and
many farmers bolster up their cour-
age with the remembrance of 1898
when rain prevented cultivation un
til April 9, yet fine crop was re-
ported.
Secretary of Agriculture Connor,
himself a farmer of thirty years ex-
perience, was seen Monday at thu
capitol. Here is what he thinks Of
the outlook:
"The cotton crop of Georgia de
pends on the weather of the next ter
DAYS" he said. "If no rain falls dur
ing that time and if the land dries ou
so that it can be plowed, Georgis
should have a fairly good crop. L
rain falls during the next ten day
and the fall is even moderately heavy
the cotton crop of the state will b.
practically ruined. OF course, whel
I say this | except any remarkable
weather which might be seen mex
fall, as a winter a month late o
| something of that wind. The weathe
: is a decidedly tickle facter.
Il "But basing my conclusions on nj
l experience as a farmer l think tn
situation is the most desperate the
r We in Georgia have seen in years. T
} raise a good cotton crop now we mus
= have practically ideal weather frol
1 now until September Planting is fiv
: week behind and in many sections n
g plowing has been done. If it is rain
: during the next ten days the Georgi
d farmer would do we'll to abadon CO
: ton for once and turn to other thing
If FavOrs DiversificatiOn.
d 81 am and will be as long as l al
d in my present official position decit
o edly in favor of diversifcation
crops. l intend to stress the fact thi