The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1918-05-30
FIRST COTTON CROP REPORT
OF SEASON ISSUED MONDAY

A cotton acreage of 101.8 per cent
compared with last year is indicated
by reports sent in by Commercial
Appeal correspondents. A condition
Of $40 per cent compared with norma
i is indicated.
Government figures last year tC
May 25 showed a condition of 695
The 10-year average is 1911.
The acreage increase means 3d..
667 900 acres devoted to the 1918-le
crop, against 34,086,000 in 1917, ex-
Guiding in both instances Virginia
Missouri, Florida and less important
cotton producing states, which in 1917
had a combined total of $1,000 acres
1t may be, as the case presents it.
self as a probability rather than q
mere possibility, that revision OF
acreage figures month from now
will show an actual increase as com
pared with last year. This prospect
Is due to the fact that up to May
I20 from five to rs per cent of the
lands intended for cotton had not been
PLANTED.
Late planting last year was one
of the chief causes of the short crop.
The other was the early frost in the
fall. All paintings should have been
completed by May 10. Rather than
risk another season abbreviated at
both ends like last year contributed
to the farmers school of experience,
farmers say they will plant corn.
Lands that cannot be planted in suf-
ficient time to assure a growing sea-
son will be abandoned to quicker
crops.
Many reports are to the effect that
while the shortage of labor exists
and is growing, that which is left
is more efficient. Others are less OPP
timistic. The general impression
seems to be that there is a shortage
Of labor of 10 to 20 per cent. 1t is
pointed out, however, that the farmer,
because he has been more PROSPEROUS
has been able to supply himself with
modern implements, and that labor
is being replaced by machinery to
some extent.
The situation is summed up in the
assertion that the supply of field
hands will be ample under best con-
ditions, but if the weather should
cause periods of idleness and neces-
state extra efforts to catch up there
will be the dickens to pay.
The high price of cotton-about 35
cents pound-when planting started
induced many farmers to attempt a
killing at the risk of ruin.
The campaign of the government
for food crops and the counsel of
thinking people that big cotton crop
might mean financial suicide and a
famine in food stufFs went long
way in holding down cotton acreage.
The present acreage is sufficient for
d 13,500,000 to a 14,500,0 0O-bale crop.
Alabama leads in acreage increase,
and Tennessee in condition.
An increase of Is to Is per cent
is indicated in the use of fertilizers
in the sections customarily using fer
tilizers. 1t is difficult, however, to
tell tust how much of this increase
is being used for cotton, because
most of the increase has been in sec
tions which have greatly increased
food crops, and which are fertilizing
these crops heavily.
Continued warm weather seems to
be the present hope. The weather
has been ideal for the past three
weeks, and most of the progress,
which has been satisfactory, has been
made during that period.
The only complaint is that the plant
IS somewhat small. It is healthy and
free from insects. A great many
sections report a condition of 100 or
hnttpr