The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-06-28
COTTON CROP OF 1872.

Second Largest Ever Produced in
Ulited ssates-Next to corra
Cotton is Most Valuable Crop
Gr1nwn in the Country Striking
Statistics.
!. Statistics for the cotton crop in
the United States for the year 1912
are given in detail in a bulletin soon
to be issued by Director Durand of
the Bureau of the Census, Depart
ment of Commerce. It was prepared
under the supervision of VIM. M.
Steuart, chief statistician for manu-
features, assisted by H ]. thinner
man.
The quantity of cotton reported for
the crop Of 1912, with linters in
cluded and round bales counted as
half bales, is. IA ,O90, 1858 running bales
With the exception OF that of 1911,
this is the largest crop the United
States has ever produced. Express
ed in gross 5o0-pound bales, the
crop amounted to 14,313, ,015 bales,
being 1887, ,261 bales, or 11.9 per
cent, less than that OF 1911, but ex-
ceeding that of 1910 by 2,9o7,-
1927 bales, or 1872 per cent; that of
1909 by 1897 ,633 bales, or 38.8 per
cent; and that Of 1904, the third
largest crop, by 633 ,061 bales, or as
per cent.
The estimated quantity of cotton
seed produced from the crop of 1912
was 6.1O4 900 tons, which compares
with 6,997 900 tons from the crop of
1911.
The estimated value of the crop of
1912 is 1920, 100000, as compared with
$S59, $4,000 for 1911, $685.. l80, 900 for
1910, s812,09o, 900 for 1909, s6S1, $780,
900 for 1908, and $70o,a60, 900 for
1907. Thus the value of the crop of
1912, as estimated, was 0,7eo, 600,
or z per cent more than the estimate
for 1911, notwithstanding the TACT
that the quantity of lint cotton was
12.7 pei. cent less While the crop
OF 1911 was the largest ever pro-
.duced, and that pf 1912 the second
in size, the crop of 1910 was the
most valuable.
During the last five years the
price of upland lint cotton has aver
aged about LII nnts per pound, or
nearly $50 per BAH
The crop OF 1917 graded smiddling
to strict middling. The average
price of upland cotton, which has
been computed from the New 0rle-
ans market reports, has ranged from
$40 cents in 1902 to 1863 in 1910.
For the crop of 1912 it was 1905
cents, which is 2.32 cents more than
the average for 1911 and 2.64 cents
less than for 1910.
The cotton crop OF 1912, as COM
pared with that of 1911, shows a loss
in each Of the states with the ex-
eeption of Texas and Oklahoma. in
which states it was the largest ever
produced. Alabama, North Carolina,
and South Carolina, however, all
show an increase over every other
year except 1911.
The crop of 1912 in Texas was
phenomenal, being almost twice as
large as that OF 1909. Texas alone
produced almost one-feurth of the
total commercial crop Of the world
in 1912.
"A large part Of the increased pro-
duction of cotton in recent years
has been due to the large crops in
Georgia and in the Carolinas, the
net increase since 1906 for the three
states combined being. 844 ,449 bales,
or I'll per cent.
The production of cotton in Lou.
isiana decreased steadily from 1906
to 1910, though the crops of 1911 and
1912 show an Increase over that OF
1910. In 1906 the production of the
state amounted to 1,012,573 bales,
while in 1910 the amount was only
255,733 bales. This rapid decline
was due largely to the raVages OF
the boil Weevil and to the conse
quent diversion Of cotton lands to the
cultivation of sugar cane, rice, and
other crops.
The boil weeViI was also largely
responsible for the, decrease in the
production in Mississippi, in which
state the crop of 1912 was the small
est for five years.
The area planted in cotton in 191s
was "a, 766, 900 acres, of which 483,
900 acres, or IA per cent. were
abandoned, leaving 34,2S3,0oO acres
as the area from which the crop was
Elarvestsd.s This is a reduction o.
i ,762, 900 acres as compared witt
1919 Wikn this exception, the gare
age-both4 that planted and tha
harvestedLlWas the largest for an.
year. mississippi, Arkansas, ant
Oklahoma all show material reduc
tions, as compared with til, ff=ii hi i
Texas shows an increase of 395, ,00
acres. The average production Q
lint per acre. in 1912, as estimates
by the Department of Agriculture
was 1a1 pounds, as compared wit
2o8 pounds in 1911 and III pounds i
I1910.
The cotton crop Of 1912 was ser
ousIy affected by insect pests. fh
| growers in d large section OF the co
/ ton belt had to contend with the bo
| weevil, while in some sections til
crop suffered damage from cotto
caterpil1ars, grass worms, and othe
pests to a greater extent than
former years. Drouth in 1909 an
1910, particularly IN Texas, 0klah