The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1919-05-13
COTTON ACREAGE IS
PUT AT Sc Per CENT
PLANTING OF OTHER CROPS HAS
BEEN VASTLY INCREASED IN
LAST FEW DECADES.

ATLANTA, Ga.-The time has ar
rived when the cotton acreage for
1919 can he estimated approximate
ly. 1t is true that planting has been
no more than half finished; that re-
planting will be required in some Sec
tions where the weather has been I'M
seasonably cold, and that the wealth
err in the near future may be so I'M
favorable as to cause the farmer to
change his mind and plant his cotton
acreage to some other crop.
The Southern Products, of Dallas,
Tex, basing it's estimate upon infor-
nation gathered from all parts of the
cotton belt, reports the total cotton
acreage for this year at 1872 per
cent. of what it was last year. The
percentage of 1919 acreage for the
several southeastern states, excepting
Florida, is as follows: Georgia, 1852;
Mississippi, 8O.2; South Carolina,
81.2; North Carolina, 87.2; Alabama,
101.6; Louisiana, 82.9; Tennessee,
sos. The estimates for the South
west are as follows: Texas, 86.2; Ar
kansas, 87.e; Missouri, 81; Oklaho-
ma, 1872.
Cropping System Improved.
Discussing the reduction III cotton
acreage The Progressive Farmer
says: "The Southern farmer is slow
ly but certainly improving his crop
ping system, as shown by the acreage
planted in cotton. For several de-
cades he increased his cotton acreage
on an average of from to per
cent. each year, or about doubled it
every twenty-five years.
"The proof that he has not been
so much of a one-crop farmer dur
ing the last ten or twelve years may
be found in a study of the cotton
acreage during this period
CAS- early as 1904, or fifteen years
ago, we planted 31,215,000 acres in
cotton, while the average acreage for
the past fifteen years has been only
33, 200 acres. AS early as 1908
the acreage had reached 33,444, 900
acres, and in 1913 it reached 81 ,O89,-
600 acres, but it dropped to 81 ,412,-
600 acres in 1915 and was only 49,
$4,000 acres in 1917. In 1911, or
eight years ago, the acreage was &c.
1000 acres, while for the last ten
years the average acreage has been
only 34,396,000 acres, and for the
last four years 34,095,000 acres.
''In short, while the southern far
mer has greatly increased his acreage
in other crops he has not apprecia-
bly, increased his acreage in cotton
during the last eight or ten years.
st is true that the acreage planted
in 1918 was larger than in 1917, but
it was smaller than the acreage of
1911, 1913, 1914, and very little
larger than in 1912 or 1916.
When the Southern Products comes
to revise its estimate on cotton acre
age for this year it is quite likely that
the revision will be downward. For
example J. j. Brown, commissioner
of agriculture for Georgia, who has
recently toured the whole state, be-
lieves the Georgia reduction will be
from 25 to 80 per cent. In South
Georgia Mr.. Brown found the farm
ers planting food crops of all kinds,
especially corn, peanuts and velvet
beans. Sweet potatoes and watermel-
ons are also being planted largely
throughout the southeast.
Tobacco Growing Develops.
The development of tobacco grow
ing in the South, and especially in
South Georgia, has been remarkable.
In 1910 about 1000 acres in the
whole state were planted to tobacco.
In 1918 the acreage was about three
time as large as in 1910. 1t is esti-
mated that the tobacco acreage this
year will be no less than 10000
acres. This has come about through
the damage done to cotton by the boil
weevil and also becagse of the high
prices paid for tobacco.
1t is now believed the South bids
fair to have a record wheat crop.
Alabama's 1919 wheat crop is esti-
mated at 2,141,000 bushels, an in
crease over 1918 of I'll, 900 bushels.
Wheat in Georgia, the Carolinas and
Tennessee IS heading satisfactorily
and is otherwise in good to excellent
conditions.