The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-06-04
Big CUT IN The
COTTON ACREAGE
Forecast Points to Small
est Crop in Twenty
Years

approximately I,SVO SpeCldl Coil CO
pondents of the Journal Of Commerce
through the southern states, gather
ing under date of May 81. show very
little change; in the estimates of cot
ton acreage from those Of month
ago. Present prospects are for a cut
of 27.9 per cent which indicates that
the acreage planted to cotton this
year will be about 25,59S,000 or the
smallest. probably in twenty years.
Last year the May estimate was So
100000 acres the same as in 1919.
and in 1918 it was 37.073,00O acres.
The next smallest acreage in the past
ten years was in 1915, when it was
32,1O7,o00. In that year the cotton
crop was only 11,191,820 bales, SO
that it would seem the 1921 crop will
jhkely fall far below this figure. Talk
is heard of crop Of only 8,0OO,OO0
bales this year. though it is still too
soon to attempt any accurate forecast
! on the point. AS to the per cent con-
dition, while it reflects the uniformly
unfavora BILE weather had during the
LIST two months, it is somewhat bet
tc~ than May last year, being SS.S
compared with $500.
at that time, it however, is much
lower than 1919 when percentage con-
dition was 7S.5 and is, in fact, the
lowest with the exception of 1920
since 1907. In 1918 May per cent
condition stood at S1.2 in 1916 at
79.1 and in 1915. 80.4.
According to an overwhelming ma
iority of the reports received the two
outstanding factors in reducing acre
age this year have been the inability
to secure needed financial accommo-
dation. which of course. is due to the
break in market prices for cotton and
the world wide falling off in the de-
mand for the staple and another sea-
son of cold, wet weather. 1t is not yet
too late to make up for much Of the
time lost, but it is freely conceded that
the extremely bad climatic conditions
of April and May have been a source
of keen disappointment to those who
misled by the abnormally warm days
in February and March, had conf
dently hoped to make an unusually
favorab BILE start. Instead, replant1ng
has been necessary ever wide areas
as much as two and even three times.
with indifferent success in obtaining
stand: another unfavorable fctor
is the wholesale reduction in the use
Of fertilizer, which. in the opinion or
competent observers is almost sure to
materially curtail production, while
added to this is the alarming pre-
valence of the boil weevil owing to
the open winter and excessive mols-
ture and the inability Of farmers to
take proper measures to fight the
pests as was done the previous year.
Proba bly, the most hopeful factor Of
the situation is that labor conditions
continue to improve steadily. Farm
help is said to be readjusting itself
TO lower wages and proving IN the
main reasonable and facility efficient.
The result is much better state OF
cultivation than at this time year
ago and inthe event of better
weather in the course Of the next
few weeks will enable farmers to
push planting operations a ~
Furtehromore. the dvisa biiity of labor
should have considerable influence
later in the season in offsettlns, at
least to some extent. the lesseninS
in the use of commercial fertilizers.
also enabling tie plant to better re-
sist the ravages of weevilS and other
insects. The season is estimated as
sixteen days late.
An analysis of the state returns
shows reductions in acreage in all OF
the cotton states without exception
Texas reports a decline of 26.3 per
cent against an increase Of 3O.6 per
cent year ago. Likewise Alabama
acreage has been reduced 24.0 per
cent against gain of 1.5 per cent IN
May. 1920. In oklahoma, which re-
ported an increase in acreage last
year Of "a per cent, there has been a
cut of 800 per cent. Mississippi eSti-
mates are for reduction of 23.8 per
cent and Arkansas 800 per cent
North Carolina acreage is reduced 2'.0
per cent, South Carolina 23.7 per
cent and Georgia 27.2 per cent. Flor
ida and Missouri are the hcavleS. los
ers in the list, the first named show
ing a cut of 35.5 per cent and the
latter 37.3. In the matter of per cent
condition some Improvement is shown
of year ago. notably in Texas. where
the cotton condition is 1873 per cent.
against $50 per cent; and Alabama.
where it is shown to be 64.2 per cent.
e
In the Carolinas condition falls be-
low last year. although Georgia is
better at 66.4 per cent. comparing
with o3.S per cent. Missouri also
shows betterment. being at 75.3 per
cent. against $50 pc. cent.
Conditions in nearly all of the
states have been very similar and
complaints. with the exception of
Texas and parts of Oklahoma. have
been almost Invariably OF heavy
rains. retarding planting operations as
we'll as growth and causing much
damage to cotton. Texas. as usual,
purchasing power by them has accel-
.o+of, +ba ~onaraJ denresSiOn bV re-