Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-12-16

The Empire States cotton crop is at
once the poorest but the most valuable
port of the Cooperative Crop Reporting
service, formed by a union of the Georgia
department of agriculture. Hon: j. D.
Brown, commissioner, with the U. S. bu-
real of crop estima es, 4. r. Pettet, field
agent.
This combinati ton of minimum crop with
maximum price requires little eEplana-
ton. The worlds demand for our greatest
product and the comparative shortage re-
sulting from a bad season and weeYi de-
VISITATION, are directly responsible Then.
good shape financially, that under agrees
1 II Setf@a %Rl NE hs as Gould what he
While the northern portion Of the state
has profited exceedingly by this splendid
price, so great were the ravages. Of the boil
state and so low the yield, that no very
great profit made. Indeed, very
large portion Of the farmers, after paying
increased fertilizer and labor prices. could
hardly be said to have made any money at
all.
weevil Devastated South Georgia
During the past season we have traced
the damage done by the boil weevil' month
by day, measuring and charting the dam
age more closely than ever. before
study of the data in connection with the
final yields per acre, show that where the
weevil was present and doing marked dam
age by August l, the yield was more than
cut in two and average less than 100 pounds
increased rapidly and in direct proportion
to the absence of weevil infestati0n, in
most cases making very good crop where
the insect arrived late. Too strong en-
phasis cannot be placed on the influence Of
this dreadful pest, because practically all
OF our cotton belt is now infested and with
mild minter,, the weevill will viii cover the
suItant conditions very comparable with
those of the present season provided, of
course, the breeding season of 1920 is sim
liar to that of the past year,.
Early Season Very Favorable
The crop started out under favorable aus
pices, though several days late over the
major portion of the state. Germinat1QA
stands were the best 1 have ever seen. The
color of the pltns was exceptional and the
few cold spells did not set it back much.
The cultivation and cotton chopplng were
both very backward and grass had obtained
considerable start by June 1. The back
wardness Of the crop in south Georgia would
have been of little Importance were it not
for the fact that every days delay gave
the weevil Il better chance at it.
In a large part OF the state, notably the
southeaste third, there was heavy cut
in acreage. This was largely offset by in
crcases in the southwest where the peanut
industry had been unsatisfactory the pre-
ceding year, and in the northern section,
which was supposed to be beyond the pros.
returns to indicate that in this re-
gion, the acreage was somewhat larger
than we have previously estim9ted.
Sea Island Cotton Almost Destroyed
In the southeast there was heavy re-
duction of acreage in the little sea island
belt, resulting from the terrible damage
was so plentiful that most of the remain
ing patches were plowed up 50 that our
crop of this wonderful staple has ~heen
practically destroyed The present OUTLOOK
SO for I1uTo h1JpG
of this small residue, some belongs to a
different classification, being hybrid or
Meade cotton: On 1916 we made 77,oS1
bales of sea island).
June rains caused heavy drop. in Gotten
prospects. The fields became so wet In
the lower sections that the farmers could
moisture had one other and still more imp.or-
Of Of the weevil. By June Is, nearly three
fifths of the lower part OF the state We're
come very severe in the lower counties.
tremendous Rains in July
A very great excess Of moisture during
July prevented cleaning the field and pro
noted weeyh multiplication By August
l, the weevil damage line EXTENDED across
the state from LaGrange through Waynes-
boro. 1t is south OF this line that we now
have to record a yield of below 200 pounds
per acre and in most instances of below lOO.
In other words, where the weevil was pien-
tifuls by August /, the cotton crop was less
than half the usual amount and practically
no young cotton escaped on the plants after
that date. BY this time the destruction in
the sea- island belt was SO complete that
our report to Washington on that date con-
tanned the following sentences: Sea Is
land cotton plowed up in all Of this terri
tory. viii have little Of this type. left by
the end of season. This long staple is as
dead as the Dodo." .'.
Disaster overtakes tho Crop .
What the Huns Gid to the Belgians,
the boil weevil did to our defenceless cot
ton. Day by day, almost hour by hour
reports of destrpction poured in as the tide
of advance moved steady northward. We
will not 60 into the delorcus details, bur
will merely mention the fall from the high
condition mark Of 67, July to 40, the first
of October.
state Of Georgia, this meant the loss or
hundreds of thousands Of bales and millions
of dollars.
Weather Conditions