The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-11-03
Cotton Crop Condition
New York Journal OF Commerce
Reports Show That There Has
Been Deterioration During
Month

Ncw York. oct 29.---Thc New York
Jpl..aal of Commerce will have the
followh,g t6 say In It's issue tomorrow
rckarding the CONDITION OF the 1920
cotton crop.
Rcturns received from nearly 500
sneciai correspondents of this journal.
under an average date OF October 23.
indieate that despite the almost uni
toruly Favorable weather which has
prevailed during the greater part OF
October over a. large portion OF the
cotton belt, there has becu a deteriora-
uon of as from last months per cent
condition OF 63.Y This. however. com
pares with a loss i'm 1910 of 81. from
co,sditon figure OF 56.S per cent.
I'm 1918 n small iRcrease--lO.2 per
cent--was reported. although in the
year preceding that cotton condition
feli 80 per cent. on the past ten years
\ the average deterioration has been 2. Z
per cent; picking while not up to
the general average FOR recent years.
Is a little ahpad OF last year, being
estimated an 90 per cent. against 65
per cent a year ago. This compares
with So per Gent picked I'm 1915, 73
per cent the year previous apd S4 per
cent In 1915
s~Oensidering the backwardness Of
the 1890 crop, this showing is rather
better than anticipated. although 1t
leaves neorly one-third of the crop
10 be gathered aud. therefore, still
I'm danger OF frosts. A careful analysis
OF the returns shows this years cot.
ton crop to have been one OF the most
uneven ever reviewed.
-
wholly favorable progress. Practically
throughout the growing season re-
turns from reliable sources have
shown often IN the same locality. good
COTTON, well grown with normal fruit
age, while elsewhere the plant has
been either osererown and rank or
undcrsize and poorly fruited. At not
q few points cotton is reported almost
a total failure. This has Increased
the difilculty VI determining the size
Of the crop. and, In the opinion of
Hnany competent observers the final
yield Will remain a matter for con
lecture until picking has been com
plcted.
Taken BY states the heaviest loss
In per cent condition is shown m Flor
ida. which deterlSratei 10. Georgia
also Jared badly. losing s; Mississippi
7.6; Alabama. 6,1. and Louisiana. Sc.
ln North Caroaha and south Carolina
loSxes were small. and 81, respect
ively. with Texas, 3.s lower, against a
loss last year OF 13.5. Arkansas also
deteriorated 80. against as a year
ago. Tennessee showed the Smallest
loss. IA. while Missouri registered the
only gain. 7. which compares with IA
recession last year oe S.S. AS TO the
amount picked louisiana heads the
i.st with 90 per cent; Florida comes
next with S5. Alabama so and Missis-
sippi rs. The Texas crop is az per cent
gathered. Missouri is the most hack
ward. showing only 20 per cent,
against 43 per cent last year; Tennes-
seq has IS per cent and Oklahoma 80
pet cent. North Carolina and South
Carolina fell short OF last years rec
ord with az per cent and 6S per cent.
rsspectvely but Arkansas reports 5S
per cent! against as per cent year
earlier. fst Nt
rAccordIng To an overwhelming ma
jority OF returns weevils have contin-
ued their desu'uctiveuess and In large
areas damage has exceeded earlier ex-
pectations hence little or no top crop
is likely. ieh
"A recurrence here aud there. nota-
bly an TsASiss and oklahoma, OF excess
dive rains aud cloudy. showery wca-
ther ~ causing a lowering OF grades.
which In conjunction with the, pres
ent low 'priccs OF cotton and scarcity
OF plckers is expected 20 induce con-
siderable abandonment. Many corre-
spcndents'' sx that very little low
gradeic6tton will he picked this year,
Ira tieOrglH. the Carolinas and Ala
barna tho ineessant rains of July and
August and parts OF September were
followed ny n month or drouth. which
has had the effect IN numerous IN
stances 0F reducing earlier esq.
of nnud Yield. Nearly everywhere
complaints are heard OF the fall in
the pFitt tf vthe staple. and the claim
" made that cotton sold al present
leveis WfIf bring only about half tho
CostS NJ, lprUduction. Correspondents
IN many 'Tysrts OF the cotton belt pre-
diet that unless the labor situation
imIsshaA' and some measure IL intro
duced 10 more successfully combat the
weey1 menace cbtton acreage next
year " pretty sure TO ne heavily cut.
At present writing very little cotton
a. being. marketed. In few isolated
caSss farmers are said 20 be refus-
ing tO pick until market conditions
improve.ib hut for the most part cotton
h being picked and stored in ware
house pending an advance In prices.
rIndtvidual estimates by cotton cor
respondents nf the entire crop range
from l0.5oO,OOO To 100000 bales.
with tbe general average 1859. 900
bales"