The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-07-05


Missouri, 100000 ............. IS.
Oklahoma, 2,745,O00 .......... "a. |
California, $4,000 ............. SO. |
Arizona, $4,000 ............... 81.
Statement on Condition
A statement on condition, issued
at the department., said:
ct was the desire and intention o.;
the farmers of the South outside the
newly infested weevil areas to plant
this year the largest cotton crop on
record. But their plans could not
be carried out. A number of influ-
ences have held the acreage down
and in some places forced a reduc-
ton where heavy increases were con-
/ templated.
can important influence has been
the labor problem. In all of the
States east of the Mississippi river
where the negro is the chief labor on
the cotton plantations, there has been
a heavy exodus of these workers. Sew
eral hundred thousands of negroes
have deserted the farms to 60 to the
i industrial centers in the Northern
and Eastern States, where they could
| get higher wages than they had been
!. receiving. In addition many thou
, sands Of young men have left the
/ farm to enter the military or naval
service. Heretofore there was usu-
: ally a small surplus Of farm and in.
5 dustrial labor in the South while now
t there is a deficit with no chance OF
= an adequate supply soon. AS a re-
1 suit, much land ordinarily planted tt
cotton is this year planted to othel
: crops requiring less cultivation ank
f hand labor.
S "The high prices prevailing TO-
e food, feed and fertilizer has been .
o factor The slogan the South mus
e feed ITSELF has had it's effect an
r many farmers who have for year
d planted cotton to the exclusion o
5 most other crops are now practicin!
diversification. In many sections
d is as profitable to grow high price
# corn, wheat, or other food crops a
y it is to produce cotton. These crop:
lie requiring less cultivation than cot
g ton, seem to some farmers, to solv
Sc the labor problem and they hav
l. planted these at the expense Of som
le of their cotton acreage. Unfavo]
e. able weather caused much loss {
st early planted cotton and some of tn
is was replaced by corn and other crop
RS "In some sections the crop has r.
o. covered some of it's lateness, but ovt
of most of the belt, it still averag.
is two to three weeks late. The weatl
re er was too cold the first half of Jun
to and over the southern half of the be
st dry weather, which in portions
is Texas assumed crop killing propo
en- lions, prevailed the greater part
to the month. In Texas, Louisiana, MI
ng sissippi, Alabama and Georgia, t
MS drouth has been serious but colt
has not suffered as severely as 9th
ar crops. In the States on the northe
nd line of the cotton belt too much rs
raj has fallen in many places. The l:
ic- ter part of the month was more
MT, vorable for cotton, the temperatu1
nd being generally high and the cr'
tn while small, seems to be fruiting WI
ers There is complaint Of weevils in I
the cry infested State but the ravages
the date seem not so severe as in form
years. The lateness Of the crop
probably responsible to some exit
ce- for this but the dry weather prev:
ing in the worst infested sections
l. held the weevil in check. The G.
The is generally we'll cultivated"