The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-08-03
BOIL WEEv|L TOLL
HEAVY ON SOUTH.
q -. .'. b.. 3
LOW CONDITION REPORT DUE
LARGELY TO RAVACES OF IN.
SEcT-FIGUREs SHOW CAT
PER CENT OF NORMAL CROP.
ESTIMATE OF s,433, 900 BALES

ESTIMATE OF s,4ss,ooo BALES
Washington, Aug. 2.-The boil
weevil played havoc with the South's
cotton crop during July, heavy rain
fall aided in the destruction by pro-.
noting rank growth Of weeds and
grass and as a result prospective
production of S,2O3,0Oo bales was
forecast today by the Department Of
Agriculture, basing its estimate on
conditions existing July rs. That is
loss of 230, 900 bales compared with
the production forecast, a month ago.
The crop declined 4.5 points during
the month, much more than the aver
age decline, bringing condition to
64.7 per cent Of a normal, the lowest \
July '25 condition on record with one
exception, that of 1865, when it was
GAL. ~ =
Unpromising is the present condi-&
tion of the crop throughout most Of 7
the belt, and there lis very serious
threat, the department experts say, OF
continued apd increased damage from
the boil weevil, while grass and
weeds are exhausting much of: the
crop that remains. 81.
A crop of s,4Ss, 900 bales was fore !
cast from the condition on June 25,s Y
which was 69.2 per cent Of normal.
The condition was, TAI per cent onc:
July rs last year, 67.1 in 1919 and
the ten-year July25 average 2is 75.4.
Last years crop was 13,365,754 bales
that of 1919 was 11,42O, 1855 bales;
in 1913 it was i12,O4o,5s2, in 1917 it
was 11,3O2,375 and in 1916 it Was
II, ,449, $50. ~ &
The condition by States follows. {
Virginia go, North Carolina 75.s,
South Carolina 62, Georgia So, Flor
ida 60, Alabama So, Mississippi 68,
Louisiana 59,' Texas 62, Arkansas Is,
Tennessee IS, Missouri 60, Oklahoma
6s, California s3, Arizona SO. All
other States SO. &.
Summarizing conditions, the de-
partment issued statement saying:
Cotton suffered more than the
usual decline during July, being dam
aged particularly by the boil weevil.
especially in the new invaded terri
tories in South Carolina. Eastern
Georgia, Southern and Eastern Okla
homa and Southern Arkansas. Dam
age from this insect throughout the
belt has been heavy and the threat Of
continued and increased damage is
very serious. In many sections it
promises to take on new growth.
"This condition results largely
from the heavy July rainfall, which
has also washed out much. of the
scanty supply of fertilizer and en-
couraged heavy growth of grass
and weeds, which is exhausting/much
of what remains, -~
Farmers are unable to give fin
al dressing of fertilizer in most in
stances, as had been the custom.
Through most of the belt the present
condition of the plant is unpromising,
since it faces on the one hand the
danger of drought and on the other
increased damage from the boil vice.
vii.
"Conditions are favorable only in
the fringes of the belt in Western
Texas, Eastern Oklahoma, along the
Mississippi river from Northern Mis-
sissippi through Tennessee and into
Missouri, in Virginia and North Caro-
lima, the northern portion of South
Carolina and in the delta section Of
Mississippi, where the plants are we'll
rooted and sturdy with a good set
of first crop bolls."
New Orleans, Aug. 2.-The cotton
: new year, with it's annual statistics
and rush of excited trading, was
marked today by an advance in price