The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-08-16
COT Ton CROP
EST innate
INCOME Etc
Government Report
on Crop Conditions
Did N o t Include
abandoned Acre
age or Boil Weevil
Damage

washington, Aug. 1o.-Estimates
OF cotton acreage abandoned up
TO Juls, and extent Of boIl weevil
damage to July % were not in
cludexs IN the August / cotton crop
szafsnaent> OF the department OF
agriculture according to a letter
received today by Senator Harris,
Democrat, of Georgia from Leon
M Estabreok, chief OF the crop
reporting division OF the depart
nent. .aThe percentage Of dam
age from boil weeyI indicated by
these county reports was not de-
Quoted from the regular report OF
77es4 per cent of normal said Mr..
Estabrook, because in arriving at
that estimate the factors likely to
affect the yield per acre, including
boil weeyn, were fully considered
BIZ the field statisticians and crop
reporters :,
Senator Harris inquiry was
prompted, he said, by many re-
quests as to whether the boil wee
vi and abandoned acreage factors
were subtracted in consid dering the
August 1 government report
Many cotton growers said Sen
ator Harris contend that failure
To- make a clear distinction in the
reports has operated to depress
the price of cotton and fails to
give an accurate prospect Of q
greater cotton shortage than now
ar1icipated. ?
Mr. Estabrook. Informed Senator
Harris that county agents in 2s5
ont of s46 counties reported an
average acreage abandonment OF
II per cent.
The senate late today passed a
hi.i by Senator Harris providing
for publication by the department
OF commerce OF statistics regarding
the worlds supply Of cotton on
hand July 81.
.yThis II per cent. was not de-
dIcted and could not properly be
deducted from the 4sS52 ,,ege acres
reported to be IN cultivation June
25,, said the crop reporting chief,
ssheeause it is presumed that the
abandonment occurred prior 70 that
date and that any abandonment
that may have occurred between
June 25. the date Of the depart
msnt's estimate sof acreage, and
July the date Of the county
agents estimate, was negiigible.
.sIf we assume that IL per cent
of the planted acreage was aban-
doned before June %, and If the
acreage remaining IN cultivation on
that date was correctly estimated
at s4,352,ee0 the total planted
aereag ewould be 37.5f6.e9o, the
abandoned acreage would be 2,66S,-
0oG and the remainder would rep
resent the acreage in cultivation as
estimated by the department"
Regarding boil weevil damage,
Mr.. Estabrook added:
s.The supplementary report also
shows that the county agents esti-
mated that se.e per cent. Of the
total cotton acreage was infested
with the boil weeyil. AS to dam
age TO the crop from boil weevi
MP to July % the retIrns were SC
incomplete as to make a satisfac-
tory estimate for the United State:
innpracticable. II wever, state
commissioner of agriculture re-
ported the damage as ranging
from IA per cent. in North Caro-.
Ina TO so per cent. in Georgia
county agents report the damage
as nothing in Virginia and Mis-
souri, to 32.4 per cent. in Geor
gia; cotton reporters, as nothing il
Virginia and Missouri to IS PEI
cent in Florida and field statisti
clans, report maximum damage
OF % per cent in Georgia and
Louisiana.