Since the advent of the boll weevil cotton is not only planted earlier, but earlier maturing varieties are used. This has almost doubled the amount of cotton ginned in July and Au gust, as compared with former years, and has led to fixing upon 1 August as the beginning of the commercial crop _year instead of 1 Sep tember as heretofore. The average proportion of the crops of the past four years picked and ginned in July and August is 4.8 per cent; to 25 September, 22.6 per cent; to 1 November,63.7 per cent; to 1 December, 84.8 per cent; to 1 January, 93.5 per cent; the remaining 6.5 per cent being ginned within the next two or three months.
Cost of It is impossible to ascertain with any degree of accuracy the cost of production. So much depends upon the quality of the soil, the thrift of the farmer, the efficiency of labor, the character of the season, the freedom of the crop from plant diseases and insect depredations, the price realized for the crop, that the cost will vary from year to year, and vary even in fields on the same plan tation. Two elaborate investigations of the subject made by the United States Department of Agriculture will serve to illustrate the wide difference in cost, and also the increased cost in recent years. The results of the first inves tigation made in 1896 show that the average total cost of cultivation per acre was $15.42, and the average total return $19.03, leaving a net profit of $3.61 per acre. The average yield per acre was 255.6 pounds of lint, and the aver age price 6.7 cents per pound. The average cost of production in all States was 5.27 cents per pound. To produce a bale of 500 pounds the cost was $30.15. The results of the investi gation in 1910 indicated that the average total cost per acre was approximately $20.35, and the yield of lint per acre 247 pounds, making the average cost of production in all States 8.30 cents per pound. The cost in 1910 was 32 per cent greater than that of 1896. In comparing the various items of cost this is readily ac counted for. For instance the cost of plowing increased from $4.12 to $6.36, picking from $3.37 to $4.67, and rent of land from $2.88 to $3.56 per acre. The average cost in all States of the chief items in 1910 were: rent $3.56, preparation of the land $2.17, fertilizers $2.46, seed 51 cents, planting 50 cents, cultivation $4.19, picking $4.67, ginning $1.61, miscellane ous 68 cents; total per acre $20.35. The esti mated cost per pound in the different States was: North Carolina 8.22 cents, South Carolina 8.07 cents, Georgia 8.48 cents, Alabama 7.92
cents, Louisiana 8.09 cents, Texas 8.59 cents, Arkansas 8.20 cents, Tennessee 8.19 cents, Ok lahoma 8.44 cents and all States 8.30 cents. The Watkins Statistical Bureau of New York City in January 1918 concluded an exhaustive inves tigation of the cost of cotton production in 1917. In their introductory remarks they say: ''that the cost of producing a pound of cotton varies from year to year. Not only so, but it varies in each State, in each county, and indeed the cultivated fields on the same planta tion may produce varied results? As evidence of the very wide variation at different periods, the cost as ascertained by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1896 and in 1910 are cited, the first being 5.27 a pound in the former and 8.30 cents in the latter season, as compared with 11.28 cents in 1917, as esti mated by the Watkins Bureau. The average cost of production and the net profit per acre as estimated by this authority are as follows: Virginia, cost $50, profit $39.75; North Carolina, cost $46.41, profit $34.61; South Carolina, cost profit $48.20; Georgia, cost $37.15, profit 31; Florida, cost $26.81, profit $26.29; Ala ma, cost $30.34, profit $22.47; Mississippi, cost $33.10, profit $30.17; Louisiana, cost $34.42, profit $46.63; Texas, cost $28.11, profit $25.88; Arkansas, cost profit $35.51; Tennessee, cost $30.71, profit $22.73; Missouri, cost $39.08, profit $34.29; Oklahoma, cost $29.20, profit $26.82; California, cost $52.72, profit $70.40; Arizona, cost $94.42, profit $63.20; New Mexico, cost $31, profit $40.25; average cost for all States, $34.76, and average net profit per acre $31.55.
The net cost of producing a pound of cotton in each State is estimated as follows: Virginia, 13.10 cents; North Carolina, 13.08 cents; South Carolina, 9.85 cents; Georgia, 11.33 cents; Florida (partly long staple Sea Island), 17.74 cents; Alabama, 12.99 cents; Mississippi, 11.42 cents; Louisiana, 9.94 cents; Texas, 11.07 cents; Arkansas, 11.42 cents; Tennessee, 12.14 cents; Missouri, 12.35 cents; Oklahoma, 10.21 cents; California, 9.70 cents; Arizona, 41.74 cents (high cost due to high cost of irrigation); New Mexico, 7.11 cents; net cost per pound for all States, 11.28 cents. The extraordinary profits per acre are due to the very high prices obtained by the farmer for his lint cotton, and its by-product the seed, the former averaging 27% cents a•pound, and the latter $1 per bushel -prices the like of which have not been realized since 1870.