Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-31
HUGE COTTON CROP HAS GIVEN
PRODUCERS LIBERAL RETURNS
Demand Has Kept Pace With Supply, While
Weather Conditions Have Reduced Quality in
Some Instances-Exportation Enormous

and beyond the economic factor other
influences were at work. Starting
from a small area in the extreme
SOutherly portion of Texas In 1892, the
boil weevil had spread year after year
until fields had become infested as far
north as the Atlantic coast districts
of North Carolina. over 100000 square
miles of the cotton belt reported the
presence of these insects and the men
ace had attained proportions of a
world interest.
Would the genius of man conquer
or would he be compelled to yield in
the fight and admit defeat? The De
partment of Agriculture, State expert
mental stations, private agencies, had
all been devoting money and energy
toward the solution of the problem.
Every town and county was stirred to
activity by the weevil propaganda UNI
til triumphant conquest in the strug-
gle became a matter of pride. There
was great danger that American SUI
premacy in cotton production would
pass to foreign lands.
The world over, wherever cotton
could be grown successfully, an in
crease in acreage had occurred in
recent years. If the United States
could not continue to furnish man
kind with an adequate supply of cot
he fostered to maintain an uninter-
rupted flow of raw material. 1t had
become a death struggle and too
much credit cannot be given the
Southern planter for the way in
which he responded.
4 Season of Extremes,
But from the start nature proved
capricious. The season of 1925 de
veloped a series of extremes. Spring
came very early and was attended
with little moisture. While the com
bination of these two factors is most
desirable. sufficient rainfall to permit
seeding is essential. and al one time
it looked as though parts of Texas
would not get relief before it became
too late to plant.
Very little rain had fallen throughout
the Winter months in the Southwest
and a continuation Of insufficiency of
moisture in many sections developed
one Of the worst droughts in the his
tory Of Texas. From October. 1924.
10 April. 1895. Texas received 5.G4
inches. OF less than an inch monthly,
whereas the normal for this period
is nearer inches. April and May
precipitation was unevenly distrib-
uted. So that parts of central and
southern Texas ultimately suffered q
crop disaster.
Somewhat similar conditions pre-
vailed in Atlantic regions and seeding
over about % per cent of that section
was delayed owing to lack of moisture.
But, in general, too little. rather
than too much. moisture, with an
early season, laid the foundations for
success. In the weevil-infested area
east of the Mississippi one of the
driest months of April prevented
rapid weevil propagation. and later in
the season high temperatures held IN
sects in check. so that. for the second
successive year. nature assisted the
planter in the battle.
AS contrasted with what happened
in central Texas and in the Piedmont
region. the Mississippi Delta enjoyed
a virtually perfect cotton season and
the crop raised over a vast eXpanSe
Of territory turned ont one of the
finest and most satisfactory ever