475 



is indicated everywhere, and the past month has been quite favorable 

 for the development of the maturing bolls, while the returns of the con- 

 dition since August have been much below the average. They have 

 been higher than those of the corresponding months of the previous and 

 very unfavorable season, averaging in October, 82 against 7(>, and in 

 September, 91 against 81. The November returns give the indicated 

 total ])roduct in comparison with the small crop of 1871, and tlie aver- 

 age made is about 10 per cent, increase, with an area in cultivation 

 larger by 12 to 13 per cent. The greatest losses from the prevalence of 

 the army and boll worm are found in Florida and Alabama. In Louis- 

 iana, Mississippi, and Georgia local damage has been heavy. In Arkan- 

 sas a material reduction of the yield was caused by drought in July and 

 August. The comparison by States with last year's crop is as follows: 

 North Carolina, 121; South Carolina, 124; Georgia, 119; Florida, 102; ' 

 Alabama, 111; Mississippi, 112; Louisiana, 121; Texas, 12G; Arkansas, 

 115; Tennessee, 110, Missouri, Virginia, Illinois, and other States 

 which together produced 55,000 bales in 1860, and in which cotton cul- 

 ture was stimulated in several subsequent years, now scarcely yield 10 

 per cent, of that amount. 



The total production, as indicated by the returns of the first week in 

 November, is made very nearly 3,450,000 commercial bales. At that 

 date, apparently 25 to 30 per cent, of the crop, or nearly 1,000,000 bales, 

 remained to be picked, and subject to the vicissitudes of the weather, 

 which might decrease the annual aggregate by beating storms, or 

 slightly enlarge it by a favorable season for opening and gathering the 

 fiber of the top crop. The indicated product of fiber per acre returned 

 from each county makes tlie following averages for each State, viz : 

 North Carolina, 173 pounds ; South Carolina, 182 ; Georgia, 180 ; Florida, 

 125; Alabama, 170; Mississippi, 200; Louisiana, 215; Texas, 220; 

 Arkansas, 170; Tennessee, 190. The area of cotton, as calculated from 

 the returns of 1872, is as follows: In North Carolina, 450,629; South 

 Carolina, 570,652; Georgia, 1,311,331; Florida, 158,099; Alabama, 

 1,387,972; Mississippi, 1,537,618; Louisiana, 940,218; Texas, 914,269; 

 Arkansas, 093,515 ; Tennessee, 518,605. In calculating the indicated 

 product, the average bale is estimated at 465 pounds. 



On the basis of former estimates of acreage, and the November re- 

 turns of production, the indicated yield per acre and product in pounds 

 (which should be received as an unbiased rendering of returns of cor- 

 respondents at that date, rather than an authoritative prediction of 

 what the crop, when fully gathered, will prove to be) is as follows : 



The yield per acre is based upon the aggregate gross weight in 



