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AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT OF GEORGIA—CROP REPORT FOR MONTH OF
£ thing I have never known before. There is a great demand for
day labor to be had than ever before, and farmers who depended
them for cotton chopping are in trouble. The Alliance has put new
l*to the farmers.—D. N. S. Talbot .—Seasons have been unusually good
4ftte. Stands of cotton never better. Labor is in much demand for
ton chopping. I fear that farmers are more disposed to extensifying
Intensifying.—D. G. O. Recent rains have greatly improved oats.
•rop almost an entire failure. Great scarcity of labor for chopping cotton.
Weather now favorable for the growing crops.—W. H. E. Troup.—
•re extremely sorry, caused by the freeze in March, rust, fly and dry
weather. Wheat is sorry from the same causes. Cotton is poor on the
bottom lands, caused by cool weather and want of rain to put such lands
In proper condition.—J. P. Small grain nearly a failure. The same of the
fruit crop, all from the effects of the freeze last winter and spring.—H. H.
C. Upson .—Oats improved some since last report. Wheat almost a total
failure. Fruit crop of all kinds a complete failure. Corn about 90 per
cent, of a full crop. Stand of cotton fine and prospect at present very
flattering. Seasons propitious.—W. A. A. Walton .—Wheat almost a
failure. Small area and badly damaged by rust, fly and freezing out.
But few fall oats stood the freezing. Spring oats low and crop will be
abort; most too dry in spring. Cotton, perfect stands, well worked and
laoking fine. Corn looking well, though Irregular stands—owing to ravage
of bud worms. Seasons have been all that the farmer could desire.—J. M.
G. Warren .—Corn and cotton healthy, looking well, good stand, and in
good condition—prospects flattering. Wheat, oats and fruits a failure. A
good _ , ram last night.—D. M . R. tt Use , buttermilk freely on your cattle.
C mence at the horns and rub well on shoulders and back to the tails
*nd you will never see any lice on them—one quart to the cow. Try it.
Season good. Corn and cotton in good condition. Most of cotton crop
Chopped . five to eight , days
early. Very few peaches and apples.-J. A. S.
Wil ces. Very fine weather for working crops up to the 17th. Nights of
17th and 24th very heavy rains-some hail in spots, with frost and heavy
wind; nights 18th and 25th, continuous rain. Cloudy and somewhat
chilly day and especially at night. Yesterday and to-day (31) sun hot
■gain. Almost double effectual farm work first half over last half of
month. Some have utilized time, saving grain with cradles. Where not
worked out before, cotton needs attention badly.—J. T. W.
SOUTHWEST GEORGIA.
Baker- Crop, th«gh .mail, look .,11. Th, dry March and April
retarded planting and the germination of seed planted. Peach trees dead
I do not think there will be any peaches in Baker countv this season ■ T
know of none. Oats (fall) were in boot March 1 oTiS Though badlv “ ^ hurt Ap"" will
»■>," -op. Spring cats are better. Fall
spring Detu^r oouaitiou oats generally tnan benefited by May rains. Cattle and sheep in much
u BU «i, v> VVA xx S u> tixv, o. t-. tt. Tv<*ix*
plenty during May and the crop prospect improved, but is not up to an
average. R. J. Rain in excess for May. Grass abounding. Spring oats
good, but few were sowed; fall oats pretty much a failure. Stand of cotton
good, but much cotton is late. Owing to dry weather in April, did not
come,up. Distemper in horses and mules has prevailed Stock badlv used
up by it.—W. L. C. Berrien. —Cotton one month late • not done ehnnnino
yet Too much «, p* Oa t . ,„,t by
of May. Stock in better condition than for years.—E. C. P. The finest
prospect of cotton crop I have seen for many years. Cotton is late—both
‘°"f pi ££,»'°“" n uei crops good !’ 5 and ' d r‘«" m fine ’"“"T? condition. «■*-* Cotton J ' crop *■ brooks. from two —Curb to
three weeks late, owing to dry weather. Cotton and grass, after the rains
came up together, which puts the crop in bad condition. All other field
f'l° ° f ad finC con<iition - 1 ruit cro P almost an entire failure;
e\en the blackberry i crop a partial failure.—T. W. J. Oats almost au en
tire failure. Corn good. Cotton ten days late-; not yet chopped, and rain
too much to work young cotton. Hogs healthy. Country bacon in stacks
in our towns. No demand. Selling at 6} cents cash for sides; joints 4$ to
p cents. K. 1. D. Chattahoochee. We have had good seasons for several
weeks. All crops have improved very much. Labor is rather scarce. Cut
to rr T ir Me °t
improved verj much. Where the land is good they will average full 100.
Me ™“ e oldy Plant ed for home consumption.—J. H. W. Colquitt.— But
quently, cotton and grass came up together. Our farmers are having a
hard time in clearing the cotton of the grass. Rains have been abundant
and heavy through May. In some localities heavy storms have prevailed,
but doing no serious damage to the crops.—F. J. M. Calhoun. —On
•ccount of dry spell 1st of May late cotton was slow to come up, but looks
well when properly worked. Bountiful rains the last of May, and corn is
lookiug well. Oats were badly damaged in some localities by winds and
rain, same being ready to harvest, and others partially harvested. Labor
scarce and high price demanded.—F. P. G. Crauford.— Plenty of rain, and
grass is now beginning to grow. Farmers are very busy. Labor very
sekree. Railroads and saw mills have demoralized farm labor. Seventy
five cents per day, three square meals and a plug of tobacco thrown in will
hire a scrub for about nine hours during two days per week. Honey crop
• failure.—J. W. S. Decatur.—' This is my first year in old Decatur, and 1
must say that I think there is a marked change for the better, for our
oounty lands are steadily advancing without any boom, and planters are
taking more pride and using more thrift and energy than heretofore; crops
generally being better worked, and labor generally plentiful.—S. E. S. The
closing of a six weeks’ drought was followed by the haidest rain I ever
■aw, and did much damage by washing fields and breaking the stand of
corn and cotton. The farmers are very much behind with their farm work,
and at this writing we are threatened with another drought.—W. B. McD.
Good grass-killing weather. Crops in a good condition. Fifty per cent, of
oats in harvest. Cotton late, but looking well. Work-stock in good con
dition; hogs plentiful. Farmers are making more and spending less.
Farmers’ Alliance and its works is the chorus to most of songs—E. L. P.
Dooly. —Cotton and corn look promising. Oats better than was antici
pated. Wheat a failure.—S. P. O. Dougherty .—About thirty to forty per
cent, of tbe cotton crop came up from the 15th to 20th of May. Grass, cot
ton and all came up together. The negro tenants have not worked as they
should, consequently, a great deal of their crops will have to be abandoned
unless they work better and it continues seasonable; and farmers or land
owners, who furnish fertilizers, mules and farming tools, will suffer great
loss. I see no way to get them to work their crops. They will not work
on Saturdays if it rains all the rest of the week. All grain sowed in fall and
winter was ruined by winter and spring drought and the heavy freeze tbe
first of March. Spring oats have come out since the rains and made
eighty-five per cent, of a crop. Cotton has suffered from cool nights and
lice. Lice have broken stands in some fields. Corn is young, as it was
plowed up and replanted about March 20, which makes it a month lateri
but it is in a healthy condition, good stalk, and has been fairlj' cultivated,
Labor cannot be had to do hoe work.—J. L. D. While the rains have been
light in some places, I think every portion of the county has bad enough.
The yield of oata has been better than it promised the first of May. Corn
■ little backward, but improving rapidly, now. Cotton healthy, with good
stands, though if the rains continue, grass will cause trouble, as day labor
is scarce.—A. W. C. Early.— Cotton is late and somewhat grassy. Corn
Is small, but looks well, in good condition and being laid by. May has been
unusually wet, 6| inches of rain having fallen. With rain in June there
will be au abundant corn crop.—D. W. M. Corn is doing its best, there
having been rain all through May. It is yet raining too much for cotton.
Grass and weeds are rapidly gaining on us every day, and labor scarce.
May crops must necessarily suffer if rain continues. Oats are much better
than thought to be at last report, some making full crops; the late spring
■owing being a failure. Stock iu fine condition. No disease among us at
present.—J. B. H. Zee.—Copious rains have improved the oats crop much
In the past three weeks; otherwise, not one-fourth the crop would have
been harvested. The melon growers are in a fair way to bring about a
■ystorn of co-operation by which we will be able to realize something in
reason from our crop.—R. P. J. Macon—The wheat and oat crops are
both poor. Tlie out-look is very good, crops having improved wonderfully
■ince last report. Day labor scarce and high prices asked. The freedmen
■re fast playing out.—J. B. M. Marion .—Sheep have nearly all been killed
by the dogs. Very little wheat grown in county. Oats that were not
totally destroyed by cold have improved most wonderfully by the weekly
May rains. Corn and cotton bids fair to make a full crop, but in occasional |
instances, when planted late or on weedy land, is injured considerably by
T. E. Miller.- The freeze March 1 killed corn and it had to be planted
over, causing corn to be late. All early cotton was considerably damaged
by cut-worms during cold nights in April. The dry weather in April also
caused all late cotton to come up very irregular and late. Up to this date
exco° n SL d °f ln ^, badIy< “f- C - V^wm-The crop prospect is good,
except t the fruit crop, which will be very short, caused from the freeze or
over-crop last season ; don’t know which. I think both. The oat crop is
being harvested, and is turning out pretty well—much better than expected,
The stand of cotton is bad on some farms, but replant is coming up well.
R. G. M. Randolph.-At this writing rains are fine and crops of all sorts
booming, although grass is threatening, and all crops need work.—R. T. C.
Stewart. —Corn
Stands of cotton greatly injured by cut-worms. Don’t know acreage
melons, but suppose it equal to last year’s. Peaches an entire failure and
seventy-five per cent, of old trees dead.—J. G. P. Labor is scarce in
sections. Rains plentiful since 1st of May. In many places
broke stand of cotton badly. Bud-worms injured col'n on lowlands. Gar¬
den vegetables greatly injured by cut-worms. Farm stock in good con
dition; cows and hogs in good condition. One case of glanders in county
a ^’ ssour ’ shipped mule—and that one was killed as soon as discovered,
-G. W. A. Taylor.-Good season in the ground and general prospect fair.
Hog and hominy is the general order of the day.—D. R. B. Farmers not
going so much in debt as formerly and seem more cheerful. Work stock
in fine condition. The Alliance is determined on political measures, not
men.- J. F. A. Terrell .-1 find the peach crop a complete failure in this
county, and there is not one in five that has yet put out le&ves, and the
apple is but very little better. There are a few apples, but very few, and
pears are very scattering and I fear will not be worth anything, as they are
very knotty. Fall oats are poor, but the late rain has brought out
the spring oats until they will now make a tolerable good crop.—T. J. S
Webster. —The corn looks fine, and plenty of rain up to the present time.
«*» '• *7 -"*• W *> « re „„ pl.nud in
this county for market that I know of.—G. W. D. The stand of cotton
has been injured by cut worms, and excessive wet weather is causing grass
W]P n °t be a * de t° work their crops. Corn fine. Cut 'A” have
is worms
p,ayed havoc with potato pIants - Cholera among hogs in some localities.
A ’ R Worth -~ Cora Panted late. Bad stands and too dry, and cut
IT”?'. *■ T"”' iTc?' 7? "**«*?, V*
f,’ blld * not excepted. Cats had a good and bad time of it, but a fair
Cotton, nearly all killed; second planting, good stand ; late, bad—
° ary ’ CUt vvorm »i Potatoes all right generally. Peaches and apples
f a failur ®' Grapes a11 right.--w. w. p. The seasons for the last two
i V** faV0 / abl e and a11 <*> ba
’ p « ™ reacted from the six
C vS dr outh we had in April , and first of May. Farmers have had to
out a11 their cotton twice, on account of only part coming up and the
Iying in the ground until the rains set in, then it all came up at once.
peacb trees have not TT* put out yet.—G. “T* B. W.
•
Bulloch .—Fall oats a total failure; very little fruit of any kind- there is
considerable increase of acreage in melons; too much rain at this time
—
A. S. Burke .-The oat crop was not so much injured in this county
section of the State by rust or freezes as by the warm and dry winter,
illustrates the truth, if anything, that normal seasons are as essen
to hehlth and vigor in the vegetable as the animal kingdom The ex
If some melon growers in this coubty has been so lull of disap
that they have ceased to plant them at all. The peach crop will
a failure, from all indications.—J. B. J. Dodge .-*Never saw a better
for the time of year for all crops.—D MB EmamtpJ Tim
t, t short. t‘t The peach crop by is tbe a complete failure; many trees are just
leafed out. Apples are damaged by an' ins ect t hat woife jq liutl •
stands of corn and cotton; wheat and oats very poor.—D. D. Jeffer -
very good; cotton damaged by hail storms; the fruit crop a
failure; small grain damaged by cold at least twenty-five per
M. C. Corn is fine; cotton medium. The rains have been plen
up to this time. Prospects good for all crops. Fruit, especially
are almost a failure.—A. E. T. The condition of cotton is made
date- Excessive rains have fallen in portions o t the coupty, and
the condition is not so high as I make it. Should these rains
and the oat crop be harvested, grass will very greatly change the
Hail has done immense damage in isolated places.—T. H.
—Conditions of crops generally good, except fruit, which is a fail
- Farmers are upfwith their work, and seem to be more interested in
affairs generally.—T. J. B. I ruit is almost a complete failure. We,
never made a better crop than in ’89. The prospect now is ten
er cent, better than this date one year ago. J. I. C. Have had more
’ n th’ s month (May) than all of the year. Corn is small, but is growing,
very small. Cotton chopping is behind; too much rain. Oats
a failure. \ ery little Western corn being bought by the farmers.—
F. H. Montgomery. This May-4th, fine growing weather for the past
ve ck, and when crops have been worked, the prospect is bright for a rich
"\\ hite labor is the principal farm labor of this county, and prin
Alliancemen and their sons. The improved condition of things
the farms shows that those who work them feel an interest in
G. M. T. MoL. Pulaski. Farmers behind with work. Too much
p)r this ^ me J’ ear - Corn and cotton lcrok well, though cotton is
The fruit crop is a failure, with the exception of grapes and pears.
S. hviggs. The frequent and heavy rains of the present month
been greatly beneficial to the oat crop, but damaging to the stand of
and substracting somewhat fiom the condition of corn. H. S. W .
Washington. Farm work w-ell up, seasons good, planters generally in
spirits. H. X. H. Wilkinson .—Have had fine seasons since first of
Crops of all kinds doing well and in goo condition. But very little
of any kind, except grapes am fiackberries.—J. A. M.
SOUTHEAST GEORGIA.
Bryan. —Weather has continued dry; some partial showers, and cloudy
In the past ten years I never saw' before so bad a stand of corn
or cotton in the eastern part of this county. Oats are a failure, yet I do not
know' of one field of the few that w'ere fertilized aud carefully planted that
has not made a fair crop of grain and straw. Deficiencies in soil, prepara
tion and fertilization show in trying seasons. P. D. C. Charlton .—Crops
are ten or fifteen days late by the dry weather through April. Since May
1st the refreshing showers have made crops of all kinds look fine.—A. D.
Owing to late freeze and drought it was thought the oat crop was a
failure, but timely rains improved them wonderfully, and I believe there
be a yield of two-thirds. Two-thirds of the corn look well; cotton
but farmers are hopeful; most of it is clean; farmers pretty well up
with their work.—A. G. G. Camden .—Stands of corn have been bad on
account of drought. Much of the crops is young, but with good seasons
most will yet come up to an average. At this writing the season is fine and
all crops are in good condition. Cannot report acreage of sweet potatoes
until about August.—J. K. Coffee.— We are having fine growing weather
for the last ten days. Corn crops are in good condition; the stand is very
good; the stalk is small but has a good color and is doing well. Cotton
is young with a perfect stand, and in a very good condition. Oats are a
failure.—J. B. P. The condition of corn at present is very flattering. Ow¬
ing to the late cold, oats w r as damaged twenty-five per cent. Cotton,
though planted later, is looking well, is well worked and clear of grass.
The farmers are turning their attention more to peanuts as a pork-fattening
crop. Melons are looking fine. Peaches almost a failure. The clip of
wool better than usual.—J. B. Clinch.—A cool, dry spring very much
hindered getting a stand and made many crops late. Cotton suffered most
iu this respect.— L. C. M. Effingham .—Oats a failure. Corn, cotton, peas
and potatoes medium fair. Seasons favorable. Negro labor played out.—
F R. T. Liberty —On account of excessive dry weather, (not having had
a good rain since last August until the 19th of this month) crons of all
kinds are backward. Cotton seed were particularly hard to sprout esne
but for the past two weeks we have had copious showers and at this
5:27, we are having line rain, and had all last niirht.......\ L
A. Telfair.- Farmers are having a hard battle with the grass Since
rain set in on the 2nd day of May, which have continued to the starred nres
and is raining to-day, land is wet and heavy, too much so to be
the young plants; though farmers are in good spirits and are going
manfully. What few oats there are will be saved in bad condition - .so
Labor scarce.—W. F. W. Ware.— Our crops-all kinds—are coming
good, except fruit. Recent rains are doing us good Our farmers are all
so far. They planted more cotton and corn and not so much
M. 8.
COTTON CATERPILLAR.
The time is near at hand when the caterpillar will put in their work in
those sections of theState where they frequent. It is seldom they come north
of Macon, Georgia, and by no means do they commit their ravages in
ever Y section south of It. It is mostly in humid spots where the land is
unusually fertile, and therefore produces a luxuriant foliage. It is par¬
ticularly important for farmers everywhere south of Macon to keep a bright
lookout for them. In passing through a field, whenever the moth is seen
nyin^ before you, it is time for you to feel some alarm. The moth usually
remains quiescent until disturbed by some passer-by. It is important if
possible, to destroy them before the eggs are deposited. Failing in discov¬
ering them at the very beginning, preventions should be used to destroy
the hatching. The caterpillar has four stages of existence, first, the moth,
then egg, next the larvae or worm, then the cocoon or chrysalis. Then
again from the chrysalis comes the moth. Of course, each successive crop
of moths greatly increases the number of worms. It isestimated that every
Withou? pur™ i ng thl? itiveMi|at ion'fart her''any pertm'inay "readily"^
how and when it is such immense armies produced. ' J
are
Now we all know the past winter was phenomenally warm, hardly
m?° u " h freez< i ^avrng occurred, even in the mountains, to insure the
f .- SSftiT.^T '“™«7<i
aphorism tells us, “a stitch in time saves nine.”
Tbe usual application for their destruction is poison in the form of Lon
proportion. One 5SSdS£&£tap JpteMS or 1»
Paris green is used either in a dry or liquid form. If dry, it is commonly
“f edl °f n ordinary fine seive. Some, however, prefer a revolving seed
ons are used in a liquid form it should he by filling the liquid in a barrel
upon a wagon, and inserting in the bottom of the barrel a long
rubber tube with a perforated nozzle in the other with an iron tube,
n ° ZZle ° D Ue Under part of the
Xl^iama^bmlng shirting rile poison is thus: Make two sacks of
Paris big enough to contain about a pint, perhaps a quart, of
green, put them in this sack, attach each to the end of a rod
?“ g en< ?! lgh to extend over four cotton rows; place the pole or rod central
is yet another device for the ^TroVl'.
extermination of the caterpillar or rath
*5® *n caterpillar ?h£centooffi moth. That is the form tojaui' of a light by which to attract the
to ifi tin tube with about Sb
amp a one dozen perforations of about an inch each
c,ian i let er - The moth, attracted by the glow of the lamp which streams
1 h ° leS Sing6S the and they M1 helplessly
’ ‘’' W ‘ ngS
These cotton fly lamps can be procured from Messrs. Marx & McCrystad
Tbey Orleans, La.
are Ve r.vbighly recommended by the above named parties. They
wiXws rimiugh ^Neither rim tubular coverin^over the S the^p 7
he or isin-glass. be rain or heat will break them, and
y say, effect. can They run one be night at an expense of £ cent. Wind and rain
no can bought at the sum of $12 per dozen. In every
on j
rain oison . work from the should foliage. be repeated, as the rain, if at all hard, will VM l
P
COTTON BAGGING.
John T. Henderson , Commissioner of Agriculture :
My Dear Sir :—I am in receipt of your “ Crop Report for the month of
1890.” I wish to say, first of all, that I am always interested in your
and whatever else comes from your office. * * * *
But I wish to write you on the subject of Cotton Bagging, taking my cue
the paragraph of your report, headed “Cotton is Still King;” the
of which I admire, hut at the same time I have somewhat to say
the same. Perhaps, fight” no man in Georgia humble lias been more fully identi¬
with the “ bagging than your servant. I was chairman
the committee in the State Alliance that formulated the plan, and was
chief instrument in securing its passage in the Alliance substantially
it came from the committee.
That plan was emphatically and tersely stated in the words, “ Cotton
for the covering of cotton,” and in my view, the strength of our gam*
in the defeat oj the jute trust and the reduction of the price of jute
nor in the substituting therefor of some other cheaper article, but
carrying out the original plan of “ cotton only — tint cotton only —as a cov¬
for cotton.” And I have steadily and constantly held that the con¬
of our staple in this new the channel, by increasing the demand, and
enhancing the value of same, will more than compensate for
apparent loss growing out of the difference in price of the bagging
the unjust and iniquitous tare on cotton covered bales. Indeed, I feel
that so soon as the cotton growers demonstrate their determination to
use “ cotton only ” the tare will be made actual because it is simply just,
and no set of men can long contend for a gross injustice.
I have therefore looked with suspicion little on every effort to find a substi¬
tute for jute. Indeed, I see but choice between jute and pine straw
even cotton-stalk fibre as a covering for our cotton. Either material is
to the cotton grower. What difference to us whether we use pine
cotton-stalk fibre or jute, except that whichever is cheapest and
the purpose well, will be the best for us. And I do not doubt that
would be the article that would answer these conditions.
As to any revenue arising to the cotton grower from the bark of his
that is not to be expected the until whole the demand contingency for that fibre doubtless arose to
proportions indeed. as to consume crop, a
remote
I have looked upon every effort to substitute some other covering for
in the place of jute,‘as only an effort covering to divert for the cotton.” Allianee If from the the jute main
of using “ cotton as a men
get the Alliance and the cotton growers to give up their own staple
turn to pine-straw, bear grass, palmetto, their or cotton de triumphe, stalks, for for a cover¬ vic¬
foi cotton, then the jute trust can sing the
will be theirs.
This is not a contest for the putting down of jute unless it be put down
means of “ cotton bagging.” For one, I am willing to submit to every
sacrifice in order to make a success of “ cotton bagging,” but
the fight turns on any other fibre, I’m for the cheapest. the
1 have written you this for the purpose of drawing out your views on
and if you have time to do so, please write me at length. Of
course, if cotton stalk fibre can fabrics be so utilized of as to be and the cheapest demand article be
for the manufacture of textile that class, a can
created for our cotton stalks that will pay a profit on the handling of them,
then will the cotton-grower and the country be benefited; but even then,
I believe there would be more money in the use of cotton bagging, at least,
to the cotton raiser.
Hoping to hear from you soon, I am, personally and officially, your friend,
Wm. A. Wieson.
While I thank Mr. Wilson sincerely for his kindly personal allusions to
myself and to my administration, modesty forbids their publication here.
However, the views above given are so clear and perspicuous that I deem
it proper to give them a place in this crop report. I confess the cogency
of these reasonings has satisfied me, if I ever bad any doubts before, that
there are master beads in the Farmers’ Alliance who fully understand the
situation. Without any change in the few remarks headed “Cotton is Still
King,” and which appeared in the crop report of the original for May, plans I am gratified moved to
know that it lias elicited the able expose that
the order in their opposition to the jute combine. 1 had no further idea in
penning my very brief communication than to extol the very many vir¬
tues of the cotton plant. When 1 came to tlie decorticated bark, now
being used as a fabric for the manufacture of cotton bagging, I might have
added that Mr. James Barrett said such bagging could be produced for 71
cents per friend, yard. Wilson’s, line of argument satisfies however, that
Mv Mr. me,
the ultimate designs of the Alliance are feasible, and that full fruition of
their hopes and expec tations will be tlie result of patience, and that the
ends can lie better secured by adopting cotton bagging. I heartily endorse
these views. J- T. Henderson.
