388 
COTTON. 
The October reports indicate a reduction of the condition of cotton 
during the past month in the ten principal cotton States from an average 
of 90.5 to 82.7. The October average for these States was 88 in 1875 
and 71.7 in 1874. The decline from September is slight in Georgia, 
Florida, and Mississippi, greater in Louisiana and Arkansas, and 
greatest in Alabama and Tennessee. There is a small advance in Texas. 
The figures for the condition of States are as follows: North Carolina, 
84; South Carolina, 80; Georgia, 87; Florida, 80; Alabama, 70; Mis- 
sissippi, 83 ; Louisiana, 82; Texas, 91; Arkansas, 86; Tennessee, 91. 
The impairment of the crop prospect has been caused by the equinoc- | 
tial storm in North Carolina, drought and rust in Georgia, the cater- 
pillar in Florida and Alabama, the boll-worm in Arkansas, and’ frost in 
Tennessee. The caterpillar is confined to the southerly portion of the 
Gulf States. Its depredations are most severe in Alabama. In most 
of the infested districts its reproduction was too late to destroy more 
than the top crops. 
The September gale prostrated much of the crop of Dinwiddie 
County, Virginia, and the injury from the storm of September 17 was 
considerable throughout the tide-water region of the Carolinas. For 
two weeks following there was an excess of rain in this region. It is 
stated that the ground in Bertie, North Carolina, was whitened with 
the staple detached by the violence of the storm. In Warren and 
Duplin the damage from the equinoctial storm, 15th to 17th of Sep- 
tember, is estimated at 20 per cent.; and the loss is large in Lenoir, 
Pitt, Wayne, Bladen, Beaufort, Edgecomb, Greene, Chowan, and 
Camden. Rust is prevalent in Wilson and Greene. Picking progressed 
slowly in North Carolina in consequence of the continuance of bad 
weather. The pickers in Pitt exhibit positive disinclination to work at 
the ruling price, 40 cents per hundred. The bolls are opening rapidly 
in South Carolina, and the top crop will be light. There is some com- 
plaint of rust; there has been injurious drought on these uplands, and 
loss from floods in the bottoms. The caterpillar is reported in Richland. 
Sea Island cotton in Beaufort is yielding better than last year. 
Caterpillars appeared about the middle of July in Liberty County, 
Georgia, and stripped the plants of leaves, but not so early as to mate- 
rially injure the yield. Some damage by the caterpillar is reported in 
Early County and in Muscogee. The principal causes of deterioration 
were drought, rust, mud and rain. There is much complaint of defi- 
ciency of the top crop. In Carroll it is stated that the loss by shed- 
ding bolls will be 50 per cent. In some counties favorable weather 
for opening and gathering is reported, as well as superiority in quality 
of fiber. It was thought in Oglethorpe that the crop would all be 
open by the 15th of October, and in Columbia by the 1st of November. 
In other counties there was little to open at the date of the return. 
Caterpillars have reduced the yield in Florida, notably in Columbia. 
The ripening has been early—*‘ premature,” as the records have it. The 
Gadsden reporter represents the harvest as nearly over, with a product 
30 per cent. less than a full yield, and says he has never known, in an 
experience of 50 years, a crop to be housed so early by a month. 
The caterpillar has been somewhat destruetive of the top crop in por- 
tions of Alabama. The loss is estimated at 50 per cent. in Conecuh ; 
at 40 in Hale, (50 in the southern portion,) where the fields were swept 
by the invasion as early as the Ist of September. Among the counties 
mentioning especially the ravages of worms, are Autauga, Baldwin, 
