The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-06-01
B. HARRIS SAYS
TEXAS CROP SHORT


| l left my Office and started on my way
to attend a pure food and feed and
| drug convention to be held in Gal
weston, Texas, on the Sth, 9th. 10Th
and 18th. In order that l might see
as much of the present condition OF
the crops as possible, from New Or
leans l went over the Sun Set route
to Houston, Texas, and in coming
| back | came over the Southern Pa
sific railroad to Dallas and Fort
Worth. From Fort Worth | came
over the Texas Pacific by way of Lit
tie Rock, Arkansas, Memphis, Ten
nessee, through northern Alabama by
way of Birmingham and North Geor-
gia to Atlanta. These two routes
carried me over some of the best
cotton lands in the following states:
the Piedmont belt of South Carolina
and Georgia; on by Montgomery and
| Mobile. Ala. From New Orleans l
went through Louisiono into Texas.
On my return trip l came through
Arkansas and Tennessee. I saw men
from every section of the cotton belt,
so I got direct positive facts in re-
gard to each section of the great state
of Texas.
In south Texas where the cotton is
now fruiting, the boil weevil is re-
ported in greater number than ever
before at this season of the year and
doing greater damage, as the winter
was so warm great numbers came
through the winter. In west Texas
we hear a great deal of dope put out
by the bear spectators stating what
fine prospect they had there. On
the 18th of this month they had one
of the worst storms that had ever
been known in that section-all the
lowland was over flooded and the
worst hail storm that ever visited
that section. 1t was reported that at
least 10000 acres of cotton was dam
aged.
From Houston to Fort Worth, a
distance of 800 miles, travelled in
the daylight-that was on the 18th.
I crossed four rivers on that trip and
everyone of them was out of its banks
and covered many thousand acres of
the very best cotton land. A great
portion Of this land will not be plant
ed this year; if they have any more
rain it cannot be planted before June
LIST.
On my arrival in Dallas I called at
the federal farm bureau office, which
is located there handling the Co.
operative Marketing association of
farm products. 1 saw the president,
Mr.. Orr. I found him to be a very
pleasant gentleman and we'll inform
ed as to crop conditions. asked him
what proportion of the Texas crop
was there to be planted and to be
planted over. He said at least fifty
per cent. of the crop up to the 18th
of this month, taking the flooded dis
tricts, was yet to plant, and from
what could see I think he was about
right.
I saw a great many good farmers,
also business men, and some bank
ers, who have lived in Texas for
forty years and they have kept in
close touch with agricultural condi-
tions; they all said Texas had the
poorest prospect for crop up to
this date they had seen in forty years
and they could not make anything
like an average crop this year, owing
to the lateness of the planting and
excessive floods and cold rainy wealth
er. I saw some good cotton dealers
who don't hesitate to say that with
ideal seasons from now on we cannot
make over Sk or million bales this
year.
Now, as to the acreage, if it had not
been for the floods and heavy rains
Texas would have increased fifteen
per cent, but on account of the floods
she will not more than duplicate her
1921 acreage, and I doubt if she
does that. Arkansas cannot increase
on account of the same conditions
existing in that state. The only
states increasing in acreage this year
are Oklahoma and North Carolina.
Taking the cotton belt as a whole,
there will be no increase in acreage
this year. I rather believe there Will
be a decrease in acreage.
I have said all the time that you
were going to see cotton very much
higher, and in 1928 you would see
cotton higher than it sold for in