The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-09
GAIN OF 4l7,O()O
 IN COTTON CROP
 IS AUG. 1 REPORT
Forecast Places Years Output At 12,531,OO0
 500-POund Bales

WASHINGTON, Aug. S.-Improve- ment in the cotton crop during the last 15 days of July resulted in an increase aof 417 ,000 bales in the forecast of pro- duction for this year, which was placed today at 12,531 ,000, equivalent to 800 pound bales, by the department of az Tieulture in its semi-monthly report basing its calculations on conditions prevailing August 1. A forecast of H. 934,0 900 bales from the condition of the crop July 16, was made July 21:
 The crop is doing splendidly in most of Texas, the largest producer, and ill Arkansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee the report stated. It is suffering from drought in eastern Texas, northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas, which regions have had practically no rain since early June and the hot dry wealth CT has forced blooming ahead of the usual time. A shorter period of drought, following excessive rains, as in South Carolina and Georgia, has caused considerable shedding.
 WeeviI Damage Light
 No great amount of damage has so far been done by boil weevils,' the report says. Boil weevils are report
 
 tions, but the numbers are limited and the damage to cotton so far has been much less than usual except in a few areas.
 t'Serious damage by the weevils is reported from south Texas, and they are becoming somewhat serious in linn ited areas in South Carolina, and wher- ever they are appearing the farmers are applying powdered arsenate. Wee wills are becoming more numerous i'll southern Georgia, but damages by them has been less than expected in all sec tions of the state. In Florida the in festation is just reaching the point where heavy damage is beginning.
 Few In Alabama
 Alabama reports that the weevils are damaging in only a few places. They are doing much less damage in Louisiana than they did last year and the drought is unfavorable to the propa- qation. They have done no damage vet in Oklahoma and Arkansas except in very few localities and practically no damage in Tennessee and Missouri. They have not appeared in the Illinois cotton fields.
 Damage by grasshoppers has been greater than boil weevil damage In Oklahoma, but the cotton plants are now becoming so large that grasshop- pens do not eat them.
 sThe crop is still late, but 1t has been catching up in some states. Al though at first it was everywhere two or three weeks late and is still as late as that in some states, notably North Carolina and Missouri, it is now only a week or ten days late in Tennessee and Oklahoma and one or two days late in Alabama.
 Crops Are Healthy
 ''With the exception of scattered To- ealities the crop is generally in good state of cultivation; in some states never better. A heavy bottom crop has been made in Florida, whose picking is now in progress. In Tennessee, ex' -ceDt for the lateTess of the rrop ana noYne bad stands in the early planting, the prospect is of the best. Complaints in Alabama are confined to weeylls and bad stands, but the crop as a whole is healthy and growing excel lently.
 "The condition on August 1, 6l.4 rer cent of normal or II. below the figure of 6S.5 per cent reported for Jufy 16. The decrease being less than the usual and expected decrease in condition for this period, the crop pros pect, is accordingly higher"
 Favorable In Egypt
 Cotton crop conditions are favor able in every way in upper Egypt and heavy yield is expected, accord in9 to a review of foreign conditions issued by the department of agricul- ture in connection with the American cotton report. In lower Egypt the water supply is now considered suffi- cient, but severe attack of boil worm developed about the middle of July