Typed as spelled and written
Kay Cunningham

THE MARLIN DEMOCRAT
Fifteenth Year - Number 23
Marlin, Texas, Thursday, August 4, 1904

THE CROP IS SPOTTED.
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IN SOME LOCATIONS GOOD; OTHERS
BAD OR INDIFFENENT.
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SOME INTERVIEWS WITH FARMERS ON
CONDITIONS.
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     The crisis of the cotton crop in Falls county is right now at hand.  A few weeks may show that the county is producing a good crop or it may show that the crop will be shorter than is now expected. Until the critical time has passed the all absorbing question will be, "How is your cotton ?" 
     Believing that an exchange of views at this time on the conditions as they appear, would be of interest to the public, the DEMOCRAT has secured information from nearly every section of, the county and the same appears below:

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT CROP.

     J. L. Sylvester, Chilton: - Weevil doing considerable damage, boll worm at work some. Farmers around Chilton will not average over a fourth bale to the acre.
     W. H. Woodland, Blue Ridge: - Worm and weevil ruining cotton. Outside appearances indicate good crop, but close inspection explodes the idea.  I cut open 30 bolls on my farm and found one good one.
     J. W. Mallard, Highbank: - The best cotton crop in years. Will make one half to, three-fourths bale to the acre. Damage by weevil and worm very slight.
     L. E. Oltorf, Marlin: - Cotton is good. Plenty grown bolls to insure a good crop. Weevils at work some, but they don't hurt the bolls. Worms not doing much.
     G. W. Barnes, Blue Ridge: - A few weevils, no worms. Everything around me indicates a fair crop - say one fourth to one third bale per acre. The weevils are doing most damage on the sandy land.
     Geo. H. Gassaway, two miles east of Lott: - Crop is no good. Large fine looking but nothing on it. All cotton in timber appears about same as mine.
     S. H. Tucker, Lott: - Good round Lott: as a general thing. Some fields bad, some mighty good. Worm and weevil will have to work fast to beat us out of a pretty fair crop.
     J. C. Criswell, Odds: - The pests have left us one fourth bale to the acre, which is satisfactory.
     Arch Coleman, Otto: - Some weevils but cotton doing very well in my immediate section. I hear they are ravaging about J. A. Gill's farm and that he estimates that on his 3000 acres he is now losing about 40 bales a day.
     D. R. Emerson, Marlin: -- "Looks good to me."
     J. W. Williams, Blue Ridge: - On hard land where worked well, cotton is doing nicely. I estimate from one fourth to one third per acre. Some weevils. No worms.
     D. L. Wardlaw; Reagan:--The prospect looks fine. Could not expect it better, especially on Brazos bottom plantations.
     J. H. Miller. Travis: - Cotton looks splendid. Think we have from one fourth to one half bale per acre assured.
     Will Ward, Marlin: -- Weevils playing havoc on some farms in upper bottom. On Ward and some other farms looks like one fourth to one third bale per acre, barring future possible depredations.
     J. W. Waters, Rosebud: -- Crop good. Everybody in fine humor over the prospect, Time to change yet, however.

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Copyright permission granted to Theresa Carhart and her volunteers for printing
by The Democrat, Marlin, Falls Co., Texas