The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-31
PROSPECTS CUT
 TWENTY PER CENT
Ginning In Wiregrass Counties To Be Fin
 ished In Few Weeks
FRUIT, VEGETABLE
 CROP EXCELLENT
Gist Says Estimate Of Final Cotton Yield Can't Be
 Made Yet
lState Capital Bureau. ]

MONTGOMERY, Ala, August 3O.-- A severe drought accompanied by in- tense heat, has prevailed since Au- gust 15, says F. W. Gist, agricultural statistician, in his weekly crop sum mary Saturday, and the conditions real ly began a week prior to that date. This constitutes weather conditions ex- tremely unfayOrable for the growth and development of crops. As a re- suit complaints are general deteriora- tion, the complaints coming mainly of course. from cotton growers.
 It is accepted as undoubted that cot ton has ceased to grow and put on fruit except in favored sport and under circumstances of intense cultivation. Also shedding has taken places to rather marked extent. Cultivation this year was not of the order even usually attempted in Alabama, which would be bad enough under similar climatic conditions. Cotton developed rather poorer tap root than usual, and this particular part of the plant is it's salvation in times of severe drought. It remains to be seen what volume of fruit grew to safety before the drought set in, and consequently what the final yield will be.
 
 them worse than cotton, particularly hay and pastures.
 Big Fruit Crop
 Alabama came again to the front this year in the production of fruits anu vegetables for commercial con sumption lip to August 9, there had been shipped from this state 12s cars of peaches, against only ono car last year; 307 cars of sweet potatoes against POO to the same date last year; 1,720 cars of watermelons against 1,133 cars to the same date last year; and 3,207 cars of Irish potatoes against 1884 all last season. These commO- dities are those still moving, and do not include those whose movements is al. ready completed for this season.
 The United States department of az riculture has just begun the calcula- tion of index numbers of prices of farm commodities on new basis. Formerly the prices prevailing in 1913 were taken an an hundred under the new plan 100 represents the average of prices from 1909 to 1914. On the new basis the following are the index num- bers for the present prices of farm commodities.
 Index Numbers
 OraihS '.'''''':.'' ''.'.'.''...... IoU Fruits and vegetables ......... 142 Meat animals ....'............ 1Uo Dairy and poultry products ...... III Cotton and cotton seed .......... 216 OuclaSSlIle0 ..,............ lUl Average of all groups .......... 130
 It is reported that nearly all avail able farmers grade peanuts have been in ha the remaining stocks held by shelters. The nominal price for Spanish on Au- gust l, was $145-S160 per ton, and a fairly good demand was reported on that date.
 Prospects Poorer
 Cotton prospects have declined 2O to 30 per cent in southeast Alabama, us compared with prospects a few weeks ago, before the drouth began, according to data received by Commis- sioner of Agriculture J. NJ. Moore, who returned today from a trip on which he visited the counties of Henry, Houston, Dale and Pike. He inquired among farmers, whose crop is being harvested, as to the situation now and before the drought.
 The lowest estimate of deterioration
 
 cent, Mir. Moore stated. Another in- teresting point touched on by MT. Moore was the practice of rushing cot ton from the fields to the gin and ginning it green" This is believed to have had effect on the qualityAof the product. In the old days of Dig crops, cotton growers had houses to- store their product before ginning, bus at the present it is ginned as rapidly as possible. The matter of the effect of ginning green, cotton, as compared with cotton which has been held for time, has been brought to the atten- ton of the Alabama experiment sta tion and tests may be made along this line, Mir. Moore stated.
 Reports from Montgomery as to falling off in prospective yield are in line with those from the southeast, Mir. Moore state. It is estimated that gin ming will be finished in the wiregrass in five weeks, the gins there being crowded, with cotton practically all open.