319 
Sampson: Small, but coming out rapidly. Pasquotank : Owing to the cool late spring’ 
and excessive rain since, it looks now as though we might not raise a half crop. Meck- 
lenburgh : Heavy rains in May, and want of labor have caused some fields which were - 
well prepared by fertilizing and otherwise to be abandoned. Hands leaving farms 
and going to railroads, after contracting with the farmers for the year, will prove a 
serious loss to our farmers. A larger amount of fertilizers has been sold this year than 
ever before. Gaston: Owing to the too showery weather it has cost an unusual 
amount of labor to keep cotton clear of grass; a very small part will be wholly lost. 
It is now improving. Cumberland; Fifteen days behind average season; prospects 
gloomy. Davidson: The extreme wet weather has greatly injured the crop. Currituck ¢ 
The acreage, as compared with last year, is00; looking well and prozhises a good crop. 
Anson: Beginning to look well, though small and backward. From the long-continued 
wet season and scarcity of labor, many fields were either turned out or plowed up and 
planted in corn; the acreage reduced 10 per cent. Pitt: Recent dry weather has en- 
abled farmers to get clear of grass, and hence cotton has reached an average condition. 
Beaufort: Small for the season, but generally in good condition and healthy. Moore: 
Late ; with favorable season henceforth will be an average crop. Polk: So much rain 
all through June that farmers are yery much behind in their work with cotton. Stan- 
ley: The plant so far has met with no disaster, and the growth is thrifty. Burke: 
Our farmers are trying cotton for the first time as an experiment, and the prospect is 
very favorable. per. 
In South Carolina the condition of only one county among the 16 
reporting comes up to average, the general average condition being2. 
The range is from 70 (Williamsburgh and Chester) up to 100, (Laurens.) 
Greenville reports “more planted than can be worked.” Chester, that 
‘some have lost one-half for the want of. efficient labor.” York, that 
“the increased acreage and the excessive rains have rendered proper 
cultivation almost impossible,” and Laurens, that “ there has been about 
40 per cent. more guano than usual used, and this has given a greatim- 
petus to the grass. One-tenth of the crop in this county will be lost 
from this cause.” ! 
Clarendon : Decidedly poor; excessive rains in May and first two weeks in June re- 
tarded the growth of the plant, but caused the grass to grow vigorously, and to some 
extent exhausted the value of the fertilizers used. Chester: Excessive rains through 
May and up to June 14 caused farmers to abandon one-eighth to one-fourth of the crop 
to grass and weeds. Crop fifteen days behind last season. York: In cases where 
proper attention has been bestowed the appearance is good, though not up to last 
year’s at this date. The spring has been cold and wet, and the growth much retarded. 
Newberry : At least three weeks behind the usual season. The continued heavy rains, 
almost daily, have caused portions of the crop to be abandoned on most plantations ; 
a scarcity of labor on most farms. Laurens: The cold spring kept the cotton from 
coming up, and the continued showery weather has caused the grass to grow rapidly 
and kept the laborers from the field. Barnwell: Stands are deficient, and the plant 
does not look as well as usual. Georgetown: Is being cultivated, but as yet on too small 
a scale to be considered one of our staples. There is no doubt that it will pay better 
than corn on our sandy lands, and the area of cultivation will be increased. Greenville : 
From 3 to 12 inches high; growing very slowly ; more planted than can be worked. 
Marlborough : Three weeks late ; on account of late frosts and heavy rains the stand is 
not good; the grass has taken at least 10 per cent., and injured the remainder. Labor 
is very short. Richland: Very small and grassy ; fears that much will be abandoned, 
probably reducing the acreage below an average. Fairfield: The month of May and 
part of June very wet. Good stands the last of April, but since then perhaps the 
hardest struggle with grass ever known in this county. Chesterfield: On some land 
highly manured, where cotton was 4 feet high last year at this time, it is not more 
than 20 inches now. Union: Too much rain and too much grass; about two weeks 
later than last year. Williamsburgh: Better than at last report, but not yet free from , 
grass, and still much below the average. Orangeburgh: One month behind, and the 
stand much injured by eutting ont the grass. Marion: Backward; defective stands ; 
badly in the grass. The weather now favorable to culture and growth. 
In Georgia, from which 58 returns have been received, the average 
condition is 94; 17 counties are 100, 10 above, and 31 below. The con- 
dition in Douglas County, which is about a specimen for the State, is 
deseribed thus: ‘Farmers are very much in the grass on account of 
too much rain and overcropping themselves. Some have been compelled 
to give up cotton-fields, even those on which they had used guano.” 
