20 . 
pounds of lint. This year the quality is at least 5 per cent. better tban last; staple is fine 
and longer. Madison: With regard to the crop of this county, I have recently changed my 
opinion. I think that the present crop will perhaps equal last year’s. Terrell : The top 
crop, which promised so well a few days ago, is now being ruined by the continuous cloudy 
and wet weather. No sunshine in ten days. Yield will be very smalland of a poor quality. 
Carroll: Cotton was injured by drought and rust ; so much so that it opened prematurely, 
thereby shortening the lint and causing it to be light. The crop in this county will not exceed 
65 per cent. and is all gathered ; and, considering the shortness of lint and the price, it is a fail- 
ure. The price will not warrant the making. To make and gather the crop’ costs 12} cents, 
and the ruling price has been only 11 to 11} cents. Jefferson: Ginners inform me that 
where fertilizers were used, 100 pounds of seed-cotton barely yielded 30 pounds lint, while 
that without fertilizers made 35 pounds or more. They say they have made the test in 
many cases. The difference is accounted for by the heavier production of seed when fertili- 
zers were used, and I think their theory is correct, having tested it in my own crop. Talia- 
ferro: The very favorable weather, for development of lint, during the months of September 
and October, has made the average of lint-cotton higher, both in quality and in quan- 
tity, than last year; and yet the total crop will only reach 75 per cent. of last year’s. 
Troup: The grade of cotton is not so fine this year as usual, on account of drought in the 
summer and rain in the fall; staple is short and stained with dirt. Worth : Dry weather, 
together with rust, have ruined cotton. Many planters who planted the same land, the same 
number of acres, with the same culture, and who made ten bags of cotton last year, are cut 
off to four bags this year. Sumter: The late crop is being injured by the continued cloudy 
weather, which we have had for the last twelve or thirteen days. To-day, December 2, a fine 
rain. Walker : The cotton crop is nearer a. failure this year than any year since the war. 
The weed looks well, but, owing to the wet weather in October and September, it opens 
poorly. Thomas: It is still warm and wet. There are plenty cotton blooms and _ bolls; 
think they will not open, but rot. If it would turn cold, probably some bolls would open 
and make tolerable cotton. MWileoz : The quantity of cotton made this year in this county 
is as 115 compared with last year ({874.) It does not yield quite so much lint. Up to this 
date we have not had a killing frost. Cotton is still blooming in the field ; almost all, how- 
ever, has opened and is gathered. Marion: There is but very little cotton in the fields at 
this time, not more than one-tenth, if that much. We have had no frosts, except a light 
one in October. Although we have had a late fall, cotton is not improved; excellent weather 
for gathering. Dougherty : The late crop or second growth, which three weeks ago pro- 
mised a good yield, has nearly all been destroyed by rain and cloudy weather, the sun nos 
having shone in two weeks. Liberty : We have as yet bad no killing frosts to destroy the 
cotton before maturity ; the staple, therefore, is better. More attention also has been paid to 
the judicious selection of seed. The Cheatham cotton-seed is very productive. Early: 
Since September 1, there isin many places a wonderful crop of new bolls which are opening 
slowly, and if most of them open, the yield will be increased to 75. The weather has been and 
still is warm, cloudy, and rainy, and cotton is still blooming, which retards the opening of 
matured bolls. A sudden frost would close up the cotton-crop. Walton : The product of lint 
from 100 pounds seed-cotton varies materially. ‘The average is about 33 pounds, while some 
kinds of cotton will give nearly 40 pounds. Other kinds, on account of the large size of 
the seed, will yield little over 25 pounds. As a general rule, as the seeds are less in size, the 
sample is better, hence all cotton-planters would be benefited by raising small-seeded cot- 
ton. The cotton-crop is fully equal tothat of last year in all respects, and in some localities 
better. The entire crop is open to the top; very little stain from frost. ; 
FLORIDA.—Clay : There is very little short-staple cotton made in this county; nearly all 
sea-island cotton. Putnam: So far as I can get information, there is a falling off in the 
amount of cotton planted from year to year. Attention is given to other crops; such as 
fruit. Levy: There has been no frost in this county this fall. More than usual, the weather 
has been damp. Some fields of cotton are still green and in bloom. The weather has been 
“warm, but is now cooler, (December 8.) Columbia: Of the cotton planted in this county, 75 
_per cent. is sea-island. Upland made 33 pounds of lint per 100 pounds of seed-cotton. The 
first killing-frost appeared on the 9th instant, Leon: Our cotton stopped bearing in July, 
and looked as if it would die. The rains, beginning August 1st, caused a new growth, and, 
the wether being favorable, a.very heavy top-crop was made, which is now opening. Ifthe 
weather remains favorable for two weeks longer we will get enough to bring the crop to 80 
percent. of last year. No frost yet. Suwannee: The protracted drought of last summer has 
greatly injured the cotton-crop in this county; and yet cotton is very cheap, greatly dis- 
couraging the cotton-planters. I think that many will plant less hereafter, and some will 
abandon it altogether ; as it costs more to raise the cotton than it brings. I am speaking of 
short-staple cotton, Gadsden: One hundred pounds of seed-cotton will rarely give over 
thirty pounds of lint any year, and the present is no exception. The usual estimate of one 
» to three is entirely too high, The quality of lint this year is better than last. Cotton-picking 
‘in this county closed on the first of November. The bottom and middie bolls opened freely ; 
‘labor was abundant. The promise of a top-crop was very flattering, but has not been real- 
ized, as the bolls did not open. On clay-lands the crop of top bolls is the heaviest I have 
ever seen, in an experience of over forty years. Could we have had clear weather and a 
