The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-11-02
Little Change in
Cotton Situation
General Crop Conditions Show
Decline Of Ia Points-Pick-
ing Far Advanced

- New York, Oct. 27.-The Jour
nal of Commerce will have the fol-
lowing to say on the cotton situa-
ton in its issue of tomorrow.
Very little change has taken
place in the cotton crop situation
during the current month, and, ac-
cording to final reports sent in by
nearly 1,S00 special correspond
ents Of the Journal of Commerce,
under an average date Of October
%, there has been a deterioration
of only Ia per cent from the con-
dition figure of 44.7 per cent esti-
mated in our previous statement. A
year ag,, the decline was As per
cent and in 1919 ST per cent. In
each instance, however, per cent
condition was much higher, name
ly $50 per cent and 56.S per cent,
while in October, 1918, gain Of
1.3 per cent: was reported from a
per centage condition Of 80 per
cent. The average deterioration
during the past ten years is shown
TO be 3.4 per cent.
AnalW - by states, Florida suf-
fsredl the most serious deteriora-
ton and heads the list, with a de-
cline of rs per cent Georgia fell
"a per cent, South Carolina 90 per
cent and Alabama 2 per cent. Lou
isiana and Mississippi show reduc-
ticns of 1t per cent and LIS per
cent, and Arkansas 1.2 per cent.
Texas reports a loss Of L. per cent.
North Carolina 1 per cent and
Oklahoma a per cent, the smallest
loss Of all. Tennessee maintained
last months per cent condition of
59.5 per cent, while Missouri gain
ed IS per cent over the October
figure Of 5S.7 per cent That a
greater loss in condition has not
been sustained is due almost sole
ly to the uniformly favorable
weather which has prevailed
throughout October in all parts of
the cotton belt. It is conceded that
the Improvement in climatic condi-
tons came too late to effect much
Improvement in the crop itself, but
it at least served to prevent further
serious deterioration, and greatly
aided in saving much of the crop
that would otherwise have been
lost. The percentage .of cotton
picked thus far is estimated at 81
per cent, or the highest for any
year since 1915. Last year only SO
per cent was picked at this time: in
1913, IS per cent; in 1918 and 1917,
80 per cent and 73 per cent, re-
spectively, while the two, preced-
ing years (1916 and 1879 the av-
erage was "a per cent and 72 per
cent
Picking estimates by states are
interesting in that in many in
stances. they form sharp contrasts
with the progress made in earlier
years. Georgia, state usually well
advanced, reports 95 per cent pick
ed, against Is per cent last year.
Alabama has so per cent, compar-
ed with 80 per cent, and Louisiana
SO per cent, against 80 per cent.
Texas is far. ahead with "a per
cent, against TT per cent in 1920,
and 81 per cent the year before
that. Arkansas reports sc per
cent against SO per cent, and Ten
5nessee n per cent in comparison
with 3S per cent. The Carolnas
have also made good progress, 7S
per cent for North Carolina, against
~ per cent and South Carolina go
per cent, against 63 per cent. Mis-
souri, and Oklahoma both late
states, estimate picking as II per
cent and S7 per cent completed,
which compares with only 23 per
cent and 80 per cent year ago.
This showing may be attributed
not only to the ideal weather condi-
tions. but to the fact that so much
cotton opened prenaturely last
month and also that labor this year
is both cheaper and plentiful. Cor
respondents say that wherever
fields We're worth picking and all
cotton is being. gathered very close
", far more SO than last year fac
tor which may exercise considerable
influence to determining the final
yield.
Outlook Not Encouraging.