Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-01-10
COTTON CROP OF
LAST YEAR SHORT
OF CONSUMPTION

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10-A bulletin
soon to be issued by Director Sam l..
Rogers, of the Bureau of the Census,
Department of Commerce, and pre-
pared under the supervision of Will
liam L. Austin, chief statistician in
charge of the inquiry, shows, for the
American crop of 1917, a production
of II, 248,242 running bales OF cotton,
counting round as half bales tequiva-
lent to II, ,375 bales of 500 pounds
each, gross weight, worth 81 532,690,-
600 to the growers, and of 100000
tons of cottonseed, worth $685., $500 ;
and for the cotton year" ended July
81, 1918, a consumption of $685., 489
bales Excluding linters), exports of
4,288 ,420 bales, net imports of 217 ,3S1
stocks on hand at the beginning of the
wear of 2,720,173 bales, and at the
end of the year of 3,450,188 bales and
cotton spindles active at some time
during the year to the number of 34,~
542 .665 For the entire world the pro-
duction of lint cotton destined for fac
tory use was 17,410,000 and the mill
consumption 1901, 0O0 bales of 500
pounds net weight.
The American crop of 1917 fell be
low that of 1916 by 1855 equivalent
500-pound bales, or 13 per cent, but
exceeded that of 1915 by 110555 bales,
or l per cent Such of these three
crops was smaller than that of any
year from 1910 to "a, inclusive.
Texas alone produced 3,125,378
equivalent 500-pound bales, or nearly
28 per cent of the total crop of 1917;
and three states-Georgia, South Caro-
lima and Texas, each with an output OF
more than million bales-produced
SIS per cent. California, with pToduc-
ton of 57,826 bales in 1917 outranked
Florida and Virginia. Cotton growing
in Arizona has made rapid progress
during recent years The production
in that state in 1917, 21,737 equivalent
500-pound bales, was, for the first
time, greater than the Virginia crop,
1877 bales.
= TIE crops of Alabama, Arkansas,
Florida, Missouri, North Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas and Virginia were
smaller in 1917 than in 1916; but Ari-
zona California, Georgia, louisiana,
Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Car
DINA showed increases.
u Acreage and Yield,
: According to the revised estimates
of the Department of Agriculture, the
acreage from which the crop Of 1917
was harvested amounted to 33,S41OOo
the smallest, with the exception OF
that for 1915, shown for any year
Since 1910 The outbreak Of the Euro
pean war brought about demoralized
condition in the market, which had
the effect Of cutting down cotton
planting in 1915, the acreage harvested
that year being only 91,4l2,000, as
against $685. 900 for the preceding
year. In 1915 there was a considerable
increase, to 1895 900, but the follow
ing year witnessed decline to 33.841,
900 in the acreage harvested. The
acreage planted last year was 34,925,
600, of which about 3 per cent. was
abandoned The acreage planted il
1918, 37,073,000, represents an increase
of per cent over 1917,
The average production of lint per
acre in 1917, as estimated by the De
partment of Agriculture, was 100
pounds, which compares with 157
pounds in 1916, ITO in 1915, and 209 in
1874. The average yield per acre in
Louisiana in 1917 was 217 pounds, in
South Carolina 208 pounds, in North
Carolina 1874 pounds, in Missouri 100
pounds, and in Arizona and aCIfornia,
where cotton is grown on irrigated
land, 285 and 242 pounds, respectively.
When conditions are favorable, the
yield OF cotton in some localities APP
proaches a bale to the acre This is
largely the result of improved cultural
methods, which include thorough prep
aration of the soil, the use of COM
merclal fertilizers, rotation of cotton
with leguminous crops, and frequent
and intelligent cultivation With the
more general adoption Of intensive
farming, there may be a large increase
in production without any general ex-
tension of acreage.
Consumption and Exports.
During the year ended July 81, 1918,
mills of the United States consum-
ed 6,566,489 running bales of cotton.
This consumption comprised 6,296, 1855
bales of domestic upland cotton, 85 ,939