The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-09-02
COTTON OUTLOOK
FAR FROM GOOD

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Heavy Drop in Percentage
Conditions-Results Disap-
pointing
New York, Aug. so.-The New
! York Journal of Commerce will
! say in its issue of tomorrow:
Unfavorable climatic conditions
over as large part OF the cotton belt
during August haze apparently
/ been responsible for even more than
the. usual amount Of midsummer
deteuora ton, and reports of 100
Trustworthy correspondents OF this
journal indicate a drop in percent
age condition OF l4.l per cent.
These returns, gathered under an
average date OF August "A, estimate
cotton condition as 600 per cent
against 55.l per cent last year, and
a ren-year average of 68.2 per cent.
,Since the above date there has prob
ably been some further deteriora-
ton owing to continued unfavor-
able weather. In August, 1920, per
cent condition stood at 12.6. $40 in
1919 and 600 in 1918. It further
more is the most drastic reduction
since 1918. when cotton condition
fen from ia to 500. A year ago
the decline eanalled 81 per cent. but
only % per cent in 1920. The next
largest cut was in 1915, when there
was loss of l0.l, while the small
est decline is shown to have been
I.2 per cent in the banner year OF
1914.
While neither the lowest percent
age nor the largest decline recorded
in the last few years, the results
are keenlyy disappointing, IN view OF
the brilliant promise Of earlier
months OF the year and the world
wide increase in the demand for
cotton Following the government
formula of calculation and using
the government acreage of 1852
900. a percentage condition Of 900
per cent shows that under normal
growing condition a crop Nof H.
$4,000 bales might be raised, !,
which compares with an actual
yield last year OF 7,95S,s41 bales,
13.43s,6o3 bales in 1920 and 16,-
Il34, $50 bales in the high record
year of 1914. Other private esti-
mates of cotton condition range
from go per cent to $50 per cent.
All Of the reports indicate reduc-
tons. the greatest being 16.s per
cent.
Oklahoma Suffers.
Oklahoma suffered the most Sc
verely; having sustained a decline
of no less than 81 per cent to
$50 per cent. Mississippi comes
next, with a loss of 49, per cent
to 61.4 per cent. Tennessee is a
close third, declining 1873 per cent
to S1.4 per cent. A similar loss was
reported in Texas, 1873 per cent. to
61.4 per cent. Other drastic .cuts
were LAT per cent. in South Caro-
lima and 1911 per cent in Arkansas.
The lowest condition figure re-
ported was for South Carolina, 49
per cent. Georgia followed with a
decline of ZIP per cent. TO 81 per
cent. The smallest loss recorded
was for North Carolina, 90 per
cent, and the highest condition,
Missouri 77.3 per cent.
Enaaestionabiy the outstanding
cause OF the heavy deterioration in
August has been the extremely un-
Eapera bic climate conditions pre-
gailing a greater part OF the
month. A protracted period of
drouth accompanied by intense
heat and frequently hot winds
proved disastrous to crop pros
pects, and seems to have done even
more damage than weevils. The
Explanation is the super-abundance
IIaf rains sin the spring months Of
the year which prevented the for
nation OF a good tap root and in
other ways rendered the plant sus-
ceptible to adverse conditions. On
the other hand, severe damage haas
been wrought. notably in North
and South Carolina, Georgia, parts
OF Mississippi, Alabama and
Louisiana, by continuous rains or
cloudy, shoE;ery weather. which
caused abnormal shedding, 'r1st
and blight, or boil rot, and prob
ably worst Of all, heavy losses
through weevil depredations, in the
dry territory have been checked,
but shedding is complained OF, ale
so premature opening; while in
Texas boil and leaf worms have
been more than usually trouble
some and destructive. Very little
top crop is looked for and ia many
sections middle and even bottom
crops are being attacked. Should
climatic conditions in September
turn out to be as disappointing as
those Of August, there seems con-
siderable reason to fear rot only
that production viii be materially
curtailed, but that the 1922 cotton
crop will be a very short one, de-
spite the material increase in
acreage.
Abundantly Fruited.
AS a partial Offset, however, to