486 



duces to waste aud prevents pickino-, the reduction may be a half million 

 bales. 



These are circumstances that may^ if all combined, which would be 

 nnusnal but wot impossible, reduce an expectancy of 4,000,000 bales in 

 October of any given year to 3,300,000, or raise it to 4,700,000. There- 

 fore it becomes the duty of the crop-reporter to j^ive present facts rather 

 than utter prophecies that the weather or other agencj^ may overturn in 

 the next ten days. Even after the crop v>'as nearly gathered and almost 

 half of it marketed, there were savans skilled in cotton lore that last 

 winter exceeded the truth a round half million bales in their estimates. 



The following- extracts from correspondence are appended : 



Virginia. — Dhmiddie : The diminisbeil area to make room for tobacco shorteued the 

 crop. It ia opening well. 



North Carolina. — Iredell : The crop better than was expected. Nash : Short staple. 

 East on some lands. Fine time for picking. Gaston : The frost abont the 12th of 

 October caused a much larger per cent, of unripe bolls than was expected. Beaufort: 

 The picking season has been rather too wet, causing some rotting of bolls. Chowan : 

 Injured by rust ; staple short. Fine weather for picking. Wale: Short crops; the 

 (irst picking yielded an astonishingly small proportion of lint; the late picking yields 

 better. Wilson: Staple short aud not yielding well. Camden: Better than indicated 

 one month ago; the weather all that could be desired. Anson: Materially shortened 

 by protracted drought and eaily frost. liiiiherford : The increased product owing to 

 increase in acreage. 



South C\noL.mA.— Fairfield : The great frost on the 16th of October cut short all 

 hope of au average crop. Marlborough : All gathered, and turning out unusually bad 

 from the seed ; it requires 1,400 pounds to make a bale this year in place of 1,200 last. 

 The weather was fine for picking aud the lint is clean. Oranfiehiirgh : Injured by 

 drought. Clarendon : Less than half the product of last year ; ibur pounds of seed 

 yield one of lint. Marion : The yield of lint 10 per cent, less thau last year, the seed- 

 cotton being 80. Newherrij : The yield higher thau expected, but the lint rather short. 

 Georgetown : Jnjni-ed by frost on the 16fch of October. Lexington : Not over twd-thirds 

 of a crop, but the quality very fine. Sparianhurgh : Late cotton injured by frost. 

 Edgefield : The percentage of poor cotton smaller than ever before. Laurens : Will be 

 more yellow cotton than usual. .The proportion of lint to seed-cotton less thau last 

 year. 



Georgia. — Berrien : The top-crop materially benefited by recent rains. Harris : Al- 

 most a complete failure. Montgomery : Yielding much bettor thau auticipated; the 

 staple much better than usual aud the finest weather for picking. Dougherty: Have 

 had through the mouth splendid weather for cotton, which, if it continues, will add 

 materially to the crop. Forsyth : Not over 75 per cent, of an average ; 1,700 bales, of 

 450 pounds, will cover the crop, aud 300 of these will be stained. Gwinnett : The staple 

 is fine, and yields oye pound of lint to three in seed, aud pay for ginning. Terrell : The 

 weather warm and dry, and some cotton may yet open. Worth : Badly rusted, and 

 lint very light. Clayton: Very favorable for gathering; nearly all picked out in good 

 condition aud is of good quality. Floyd : The top-crop greatly damaged by a killing 

 frost October 14. Upson: Short crop, and of inferior quality. Dooly: Badly injured 

 by dry weather and rust. Mcintosh: Cut off one-half by the" late drought. Mitchell: 

 Eusted and shed its fruit. Wilkinson: Injured by drought and rust. Wilcox: Cut 

 short by drought and rust. Carroll: Light yield, owing to drought and rust. Han- 

 cock: Turning out poorly. Walton: The crop will be full average. Whitfield: Greatly 

 injured by severe frosts. Appling : The full crop cut short by dry weather. Douglas : 

 Favorable weather for picking. Putnam : A frost, about three weeks siuce, killed all 

 tlie cotton. Milton : Owing to favorable weather, the yield at least 10 per cent, better 

 thau anticipated. Early: A wonderful top-crop of grown and half-grown bolls, but 

 slow in opening. 



Florida. — (rudsden : The promise of a top crop on clay-lands has improved since the 

 last report. Favorable weather for picking and help abundant. 



Alabama. — Clarke: Since the September rains a new crop has started in places; a 

 large number of bolls, nearly fall grown, are on the plants, and, should no severe frost 

 come, will open and make cotton in eight or ten days. Greene: Said to be the best 

 crop for many years. Madison : Injured 10 per cent by the heavj' frosts. Montgomery : 

 Will average about 170 pounds of lint per acre. Shelby : Favorable weather for cotton- 

 opening. Chambers : Nearly all gathered and sold. Lauderdale: The lightest crop 

 since 18<>j^. Limestone : Cut off fully 33 per cent, by a destructive frost October 12. 

 Russell: Tlie bulk of the crop gathered and sold. Franklin: Scarcely two-thirds of a 

 crop will be gathered. . Monroe : Very favorable for gathering. The quality of the 



