Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Supplement. CIRCULAR No. 15. ) Third Series. J CROP REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, 1891. Returned to the Department op Agriculture, September 1, 1891. State of Georgia, Department of Agriculture, \ Atlanta, Ga., September 8, 1891. J GENERAL COMMENTS. A comparison with the report of August 1st; as contained in Circular No. 13, shows that the general average of cotton for the State has fallen off three points while corn remains the same. The change in cotton has taken place in South west Georgia, which has lost eight points; Southeast Georgia, which has lost twelve points; and East Georgia, wnich has lost one point, and is due to too much rain the earlier part of the month, the effect of which on light lands has been to cause rust and a scalded condition of the plant, producing shedding to a great extent of both leaves and bolls. Where this is the case, the making or maturing of additional fruit cannot be expected. The heavy rains of the latter part of the month, amounting almost to floods in some localities, have also greatly damaged cotton,'and the insect enemies of the plant, the boll worm and caterpillar are reported, in some sections, to have decreased the crop prospect. In North and Middle Georgia, the weather has not been so unpropitious, and these sections show a gain of 'one pdintneacn. On the assured large yield of com, and the flattering yield of small grain, the farmers are to be congratulated, as a home supply, always essential, becomes more so, when the failure of foreign crops promises the maintenance of high prices. HANDLING COTTON. Last eeason witnessed a widening of the difference in the market value of low and high grade cotton; it is, therefore, needless to urge the exercising of the greatest care in gathering and handling the crop, in order that the highest price may be obtained in the market, which is poor at its best. OTHER CROPS. Below we give the table showing the condition of the crops on the first of September. It will be seen that no material change has token place in the other crops since the August report, and on the whole they promise well. The table, with the notes from the correspondents, will give comprehen sively the changes in the State during the month, with the causes that led to the same. W. D. H. T., Jr. XOBTH GEORGIA. Catoosa—Dry weather at planting time. W. O. W. ’ Chattooga—Rust and cool weather has damaged cotton to some extent.' W. F. T A K R.-F Cherokee -Imperfect stand of cotton, and late maturing. M. S. P. (. o6fr—Generally conceded that cotton crop will be short; about two-thirds of last year’s crop will be made. Cora as a general rule good. T. J. H. Crops late. E. L. M. ^ _ Dade—Poor stand of cotton. Only about eighty per cent. G. W. S. Dawson—All vegetation on a boom. Cattle fat and sleek. Recent heavy rains have damaged hill-side lands. F. B. . Floyd—Drought and rust F. C. Some rust J. M. B. Gordon—Too much nun and low temperature. O. H. D. Gwinnett—Drought from 27th of July to 21st August. Some rust P. R. Hall—Late rains in the spring, and too much rain in summer. A. R. S. Whitfield—Drought has damaged crops some. W. C. R. MIDDLE GEORGIA. .'Baldwin—Too much rain. R. L. W. ■Bibb—Boll worm has damaged cotton to some extent. Butt*—Rust, drought and boll worm. CarroU—Dry, hot weather and some rast. 1* 0. C. & G. F. C. Clarke—Cotton about fourteen days late. R.T. P. Wetw^herhM SunMsdwtton^o some extent. C.M.S. S^-T^muchraim’ Cotton two weeks late. Labor scarce. Fanners Drougi^md'fate spring in my section of the county, but cotton is now doing Vcll &e and well fruited, is about three weeks late. We should plant m Jten^i*f/i«^-Crops suffered for rain in August. B. S. 0. foftiS Sst three weeks, has caused cotton to ran .too much to weed. Cotton shedding some, and fear early crop will be dam- * by rot. I' goffered from drought. C. A.S. rains and rust. M. J. H. Spaulding—Too much rain and rust. B.N.B. Taliaferro—bn unusual amount of rain. 8. J. r. . . ' ' Tnlbot—Rust and too much ram. W. H. ki. Walton—Late planting and rast. J. M. G. & W. H. G. ir - » ' SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. gS7Sew cropoTcotton coming in lively. Samples fine. No low grades ‘Heavy rains and hot sun have caused cotton to shed and rust. J. W. 0. C<Xmn—Cotton damaged by ram and rust, a L. S. Fa^fnthfa^ectio/W plant h*[fotton.and more^cro^th for j.—Heavy rains. Rust and boll worms have damaged cotton badly. Two-thirds of the crop will be in the market or in sight by the 15th of October. 8. P. 0. Dougherty.—Rust and worms have damaged cotton. A. W. C. Houston.—Cotton damaged by heavy rains. Rust and rot Rains from 17th to 26th and still continuing. Cotton that has opened is sprouting in the bolls. Much fodder lost Army worms have appeared and are damaging hay grass. J. M. S. Irwin.—Some rust in cotton. J. P. Loumdee.—Excessive rains and rust. J. A. D. Macon.—Too much rain and rast. L. S. G. Marion.—Excessive rains causing rast in cotton. Corn good where it has been worked, bat a great deal rained by ttrass. G. M. C. M. Miller.—Black root scald and rust in cotton. J. S. C. Muscogee.—Cotton 20 per cent short of last year; worms eating nn the late planting. I*. F. H. Quitman.—Too much r»in and worms. R. G. H. StetoarL—Cotton damaged by continuous rains. G. W. A. Stonier.—Cotton crop 20 per cent short of last year; unpropitious seasons and rust W. B. C. Taylor.—Rust and too much rain. D. R. B. EAST GEORGIA. Bulloch.—Rust and shedding is damaging cotton. C. A. 8. Jefferson.—Cotton greatly injured by rain and rast; nearly half open and badly stained. . Laurens.—Late planting and heavy and continuous rains will cut off the cot ton crop considerably. J. T. C. Richmond.- Cotton crop will be short; damaged by rast and wet weather. Cora is not so good as it promised 60 days ago. C. D. H. TatnalL—Ruat, blight and wet w heather is causing too much weed. J. 8. L.&J. H. Telfair.—Rust has damaged cotton. J. L. Twiggs.—Excessive wet weather has damaged cotton. H. S. W. Washington.—Too much rain for cotton. H. N. H.* Wilkinson.—Cora very good. Cotton damaged by rain, rust and shedding; will not be more than three-fourths of a crop. J. A. M. ' SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. Clinch.—Wet weather has damaged cotton to some extent. R. A. B. P<«w.—Some rust in cotton. J. H. G. * Ware.—All crops are very good. Farmera L - . . nan and beast, if they hope to lout and meat. K.M. j>. . _ _ - H. W. McT. MONTHLY TALK TO THE FARMERS. As this is perhaps the last report to be issued from this department until another crop is “ pitched,” planted and growing/1 wonld urge upon the farmera the important fact that their agricultural salvation rests, in a great measure, in their own hands. Legislation will undoubtedly help them in this fight, but government aid, without determined and, in.a measure, united effort on their part, is like extending succor to a drowning man, who makes no effort to save himself. It is true that agricultural conditions vary widely in the different sections of the State, and with individual farmers the difference is even greater, but in all one fact is patent, that the farmer who raises his -own supplies is the only -one in condition to take the advice just how so freely offered from every . quarter—that is, to plant lees cotton. The effort to pay debts contracted for supplies With 7 and 8 cents cotton is like trying to force a No. 6 boot ona No. 10 foot; the agotiy Ls all with the foot, and the result of the experiment will depend entirely upon the texture of the boot. This is the season that we spend in anxious conversation with our neighbors and acquaintances in discussing and snggesting plans, and forming good resolutions. Every intelligent fanner contends mo*t eloquently for an abundance of home raised supplies. We resolve, and resolve', until our fertile brains are well nigh exhausted with effort to bring about the needed reforms. But when in reality we indeavor to make the break, what stumbling blocks confront ns! First the cotton crop made at such heavy expenditure, of time and labor and money, is white to the harvest, labor scarce and exacting, the: weather threatening aq unpropitious. But the crop is made, and to save loss from the weather and other canses, must be gathered and marketed as soon as circumstances will permit, and thus the purchased seed of rye and wheat re main in the barn until too late, under ordinary seasons, to yield a remunerative crop. So from year to year we satisfy ourselves with good resolutions, and onr lands, under the one crop system, are declining at such a rate, that the sail effects are witnessed on almost every farm in the State. This false system, pur sued year after year, has almost deprived the fanner of the prerogative of a freeman, and chained as he is to his misfortunes, be can only throw off the yoke by degrees. But no honest creditor will push a man to the wall when he shows a willingness to meet his obligations promptly, and furthermore, when he evidences a desire to reform and adjust his fanning operations on a basis from which others have worked successfully. Let us,, therefore, gather rapidly, and sell our cotton as fast as it is prepared for market, meet onr honest obligations promptly, and thereby relieve those who have aided ns at a time when we needed credit, and place them in position to face their overdue bal ances. This plan will do much to restore the confidence so greatly needed just now. Our obligations complied with to the extent of our ability, let ua put some of our good resolutions into practice. Sow the rye as recommended in mv July report, and such other grain as time and opportunity permits. Where it is possible and conditions are favorable row clover. I quote from a recent publication: “Wheat, barley and other small grains obtain their nour ishment from the five or six inches of top-soil, and when that is materially diminished these crops are reduced, and the fertility most be renewed before large crops can again be raised. Leguminous plants, such as peas, red clover and alfalfa, most go deeper for nutriment. Peas draw mostly from six to ten inches; clover, from eight to sixteen. It has often been estimated, based , upon careful experiment, that the roots and stubble of red clover are equal in weight to a large crop above ground, and thus they estimate the manurial value of the roots of well cut clover as equal to 5,000 pounds of clover hay.” Sir J. B. Laws made, perhaps, the most thorough investigation of the stub ble and root growth of clover. After the last crop of clover was cat in the fall he found that the dry weight was, of— Stubble 2,669 pounds per acre. Roots 1st 9 inches......... 3,017 pounds per acre. Roots 2d 9 inches - 275 pounds per acre. Roots 3d 9 inches - 191 pounds per acre. Total 6,152 pounds per acre. He went deeper, bnt this is qnite sufficient to show that the stubble and roots are equal to the best crop of clover hay. It is thus safe to say that the stubble and roots of well set clover would furnish the fertilization for three to four crops of wheat or other crops of small grain. The late Dr. Voelcker made a study of the clover plant in England, and in an admirable paper in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Socity for 1868 he made a very concise summary of his views as to the effect upon the soil of the clover crop, afew of which I will give: “ There is folly three times as much nitrogen in a crop of clover as in the average produce of the grain and straw of wheat per acre.” “ Daring the growth of clover a large amount of nitrogenous matter accu mulates in the soiL This accumulation, which is greatest in the surface soil, is due to decaying leaves dropped during the growth of clover, and to. abund ance of roots, containing, when dry, from one and three-fourths to two per cent of nitroj^n.” “ Clover not only provides abundance of nitrogenous food, bat delivers this food in a really, available form (as nitrates) more gradually and coiitindaliy and with more certainty of goed result, than such food can be applied to the land in the shape of nitrogenous spring top-dressing.” “ Neither clover nor alfalfa should be plowed under as manure, when all the nutritive qualities may be utilized by the'dairy cow, and ninety per cent of the fertilizing power remain in the droppings for the land.” By this plan of sowing clover, where climatic conditions are favorable, and rye in the lower portions of the State,-which are unsuited to clover, the- soil, which is really the farmer’s capital, is being gradually improved. What