202 Twenty-First Biennial Eepobt 



gin to take care of tlieir own cotton, and for several 

 years only ginned two or three hundred bales a year. 

 Abont this time the Mississippi river levee below Hick- 

 man was extended down the river, reclaiming more of 

 this fertile land, and as rapidly as it was reclaimed, it 

 was pnt into cultivation. Cotton planting was taken up 

 by everybody who had or could get any of this bottom 

 land, and thousands of acres which had been considered 

 worthless, and could be purchased at one dollar the 

 acre, advanced in value to as high as $125 per acre. 



The accompanying photographs show the Dodds* 

 gia at Hickman receiving cotton from the wagons and 

 loading it baled onto steam boats. During the ginning 

 season this gin alone ships approximately 1,200 bales 

 of cotton per week, and pays to the cotton growers daily 

 between $7,500 and $8,000. Cotton has made Hickman 

 one of the best towns in Kentucky, and the land sur- 

 rounding Hickman cannot be bought now except in 

 small tracts. King Cotton reigns supreme in the bot- 

 tom lands of Western Kentucky, and is a most popular 

 monarch. 



EEPORT OF UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF 



AaRICULTURE WEATHER BUREAU, 



KENTUCKY. 



Louisville, Ky., October 15, 1915. 

 Weathee Conditions Dtjeing 1915, by Peop. F. J. Walz. 



The growing season of 1915 was noteworthy in that 

 it was one of the coolest and wettest seasons on record, 

 and in direct contrast with the seasons of 1913 and 1914. 

 The first four months, except January, were remarkably 

 dry, and especially April, which was one of the driest 

 Aprils on record. 



The rains began in May, and continued in more or 

 less regular intervals through the summer and fall. Dur- 

 ing the month of February and much of April there was 

 ponsideraWe unseasonably warm weather, but otherwise 



