Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-07-03
GOVERNMENT REPORTS
COTTON CONDITION 1913
Estimates Crop 11,633,00O,
Area in Cultivation 34,-
100000 Acres

WASHINGTON, July PLANS of the cotton
growers 20 produce this year the largest crop
of that staple ever grown have been frustrated.
crop larger than those of last year and tia.
preceding L probably will be realized This
years produ.tion a forecast today by the
department If agriculture at IL 1913 900. equiv
alent 500 pound bales. That would be about
lS3, 900 bales IaOre than produced last year and
AL, 900 bales more than the 1918 crop, but II
is 100000 rales less than the record crop
produced three years ago.
Scarcity OF labor, due to emigration Of ne
groes to the industrial celters Of the north by
higher wages and TO the entry of young men
feed and fertilizer, and the movement for the
south to feed itself are the important influences
against the cotton farmers' effort to produce
record crop. Unfavorable weather also was
determining factor.
A staten at on condition Issued at the de
partment, said:
1T was the desire End intention Of the
farmers of the south outside the newly infested
weevil areas 20 plant this year the largest cot
ton crop record. But their plans could not
be carried cut. number Of influences have
held the acreage down and in some places
forced a reduction where heavy increases were
contemplated. An important influence has been
the labor problem In al Of the states east of
the Mississippi river whore the negro is tho
chief labor on the cotton plantation, there has
been a heavy exodus IF these workers.
Several hundred thousands of negroes have
deserted the farms to go to the industrial cen
tiers in the northern AMI eastern states where
they could get higher wages than they had been
receiving. In addition mGny thousands Of young
men have left the farm to enter the military
or naval service. Heretofore there was usually
a small surplus of farm and industrial labor IN
the south while now these is a deficit with no
chance of adequate supply soon. AS a re-
suit, much land originally planted to cotton is
this year planted TO 9th e crops requiring less
cultivation nd hand labor The high prices
prevailing Cor food, feed and fertilizer has
been a factor. The slogan The South Mus.
Feed Itself has had its effect and many
farmers who Lave for yccrs planted cotton 10
the exclusion OF most oth:f crops are now prac-
ticing diversifications. lh many sections it IS
as profitable to grow high priced corn, wheat
or other food crops as is to produce cotton.
These crops, requiring less cultivation than cot
ton, seem 20 some farmers to solve the labor
problem and they have planted these at the
expense Of some Of their cotton acreage. Unf!
vorable weather caused much loss of early
planted cotton, and OF this replaced
by corn and other crops.
I'm some sections the crop has recOvere
some of its latcness, but over most Of the belt
IL still averages two three weeks late. The
weather too cold tl' first half of June
and over the southern half of the belt dry
weather, which in portions of Texas assumed
crop killing Proportions, prevailed the greater
part of the month In Texas. Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi, Alabama and Georgia the drouth has
been serious hut cotton hiss not suffered as So
verely as other crops. III the states on the
northern line Of the cotton belt too much
has fallen In many places. The latter part of
the month was more favorable for cotton the
temperatures icing generally high and the crop,
while small, sSems 10 be fruting well. There
is complaint of wPevils in every infested state
rut tne saVdyaS TO 0ato seem NOT so severe
as In former years The lnteness OF the crop
Is probably responsible tn some extent for this,
but the dry wc1tter prevailing in the worst in
tested sections has held the weevil in check.
The crop IS generally vet cultivated
WASHINGTON, July "a cotton crop Of
II ,633 900 equivalent 5OO-pound bales this year
was forecast today by the department of agri-
culture. In estimating that production the
bureau OF crop estimates based its calculations
on the condition Of the growing crop on June
% and the preliminary estimate of this years
acreage which announced today for the
bales, in 1915 1t was II. 191 $50, in 1914 the
crop amounted to i6,134.93O bales-was the
4S6 bales.
In its preliminary estimate Of the area Of
cotton in cultivation ON June - this year, the
bureau places hte figure at "a 100000 acres
That compares with Sc, OJ2. 900 acres. the re-
vised estimate of acreage in cultivation a year
ago and with 31.412.OO0 acres harvested in
1915, sc. S32, 900 acres in 1914-the year Of rec
ord production-and 81 Os9 600 acres in 1913, the
year of record acreage.
The condition of the growing crop on June
25 was 1913 per cent of a normal, as com
pared with 695 on May 25 this year. Sill on
June IS last year, and 500 the average con-
dition for the last ten years on June %.
Since the May 25 report Of the department
of agriculture, placing the condition of the
crop at 69.5 per cent Of normal, was made,
conditions have not been generally favorable
Toward the time Of making the June % can
most central and eastern sections Of the cot
ton belt, and the crop was further unfavorably
affected by drouth in central and western
Oklahoma, and in Louisiana, except in the
southeastern portion. In Texas drOuth also
prevailed to some extent. but the crop was
standing that condition well and making
some growth. The drouth in Louisiana was
reported as serious. The crop in good
shape in Tennessee and fairly good progress
was being made in North Carolina, where
warmer weather was needed. In Georgia and
Mississippi the crop was reported small and
in fair condition only in Alabama and south
western Arkansas. F1orda's crop is mostly
promising. Some sections reported boil weevil,
although in Texas there has been but little
insect damage this season.
In calculating it's forecast of total produc-
tion the bureau Of crop estimates based the
yield on the condition Of the crop on June %
and the preliminary estimate Of acreage, allow
ing for abandonment Of one per cent from the
planted area The final production, however.
probably will be larger or smaller than esti-
mated according as conditions from now until
time Of picking are better or worse than average
conditions.
The area under cutiva ton June 25, by states
last years area and area picked (OOo's Omitted)
and the yield per acre in pounds in 1915, follow
Acre
p1o,+od Planted Picked Yield