The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-08-27

ths CxOrA, bux 40 Fa0nsses
Prom all po MT of compass ar and near,
the unwe come idings accum ate On our
hands, from the country newspapers, that
.r,at drought, uDpreceden ell in its duration
an ex ent, prevail throughout the land, blast
ing ii fair expectations of the farmer and the
plante an6 de- tro. ing all the lite estimates Of
the We ~ reduction. i is wen that the crops
of the early SUNNI we're something alb We an
average N the general amount; for those Of the
autumn, entering 30 a-gely into subsistence
of man and beast, threaten to prove general
failure.
From Maine southwark ssong the Atlantic
coast TO Geor ia-from Ls1le Michigan down
the valley of the Mississippi TO the Balize-
from Long Is and to tn new Territory of Kan
sas, which TANKS the uninha bitable table lands
that stretch away, timberless and dry aud dusty
to the Rocky Mountsins-nay, from tee rivers
which aiow northward tie the Arctic circle down
through the United States, through Mexico, and
the States of Central America the overshadow-
ing complaint is the duration and the desola-
ton of the prevailing drought. IL New Eng
lard we are informed that g the corn and potato
crops are almost entirely destroyed; that the
springs are failing; that even respectable rivers
are drying up." In Indiana and Illinois We
are told that 1.-The corn crop is very much cut
Short that ''truit is withered Ga the trees"
ana that garden vegetables are turning to
. dust" From Kentucky we learn that the
drought has been unprecedented, and that there
is "the poorest prospect for CORN" but this is
followed by the cheering news that the Grains
commenced partially last week. From vir-
ginia we hear of 'corn crops quite destroyed"
Ia parts of Tennessee, one of the most produc-
tive aud best watered States in the whole Union,
"there is great suffering for want of good water
to drink In Maryland 1.-THE drought is ex-
trenely distressing" In Alabama the corn is
destroyed to great extent, and the "cotton is
also suffering very severely, whitening and
dropping in the heat Of the day, from which it
hardly RECEIVERS during the night, which
threatens large portion of The crop with
destruction" In Georgia the crops are said to
be literally burnt up" Fires are devastating
the woods of the British provinces and of New
England, of Northern New York and Northern
Ohio, from the excessive drought and heat
Millions of valuable timber and fencing are thus
in process.of destruction. In the neighborhood
of Cleveland the whole armament ia shrouded
in the smoke from the burning woods, where
even the dry earth is consumed to the depth of
a foot In some places the farmers are feeding
ont their hay which they had hoped to reserve
for December, and 10 others "they are cutting
down their corn for fodder for cattle"
This is u gloomy picture, and assuming it to
be true, presents us with anything but cheer
ing prospect for the coming winter. Take, for
example, the single article Of Indian corn Ac-
cording to the census returns the aggregate
crop Of the United States of this great staple,
for 1850, was, in roand numbers six hundred
millions Of bushels. Probably from the in
creased planting Of corn since that time, espe-
cially in the South, for their own consumption,
the total corn crop his year would be at least
seven hundred millions Of bushels, with an or.
binary season. Assuming that the drought has
reduced it one-third, our corn crop will be cut
down to four hundred and sixty seven millions of
bushels, involving loss Of that amount to the
production of the Union. At fifty cents bushel
this would be a dead loss Of one hundred
and sixteen millions of dollars, or more than
twice over the whole amount Of our yearly i'm.
ports of gold from California. Add to this the
drying up the grass and the shrivelling of the
late potatoes and other vegetables, and we
begin to have some flea Of the disa strous ef-
fects Of this prevailing drought upon the years
suppIies of Our bread and meat
Now for the brighter SIDE Of the picture: In
the first place, our farmers and planters are
proverbially hard to please. When their crops
are superintendent, they Complain of the prices;
and when the prices are high, they complain of
short crops. They are never exactly satisfied !;
but On the other hand, as a general rule the
sturdy yeoman, instead Of being the happiest,
is, of all Independent men, the most miserable Of
mortals. In the most abo inding seasons we
have never failed to hear Of drought and rust,
and weavil and frost; or of crops being drowned
out by the rain, or washed away by floods or
eaten up, root and branch, by the army-worm
and other vermin. Yet We have always had
enough, some to spare for expectation, and
good oeal to hold over. So now, notwithstand-
ing the general drought, and the wide spread
desolation among the corn, potato and pasture
fields, we have an abiding hope that our corn,
potatoes and other substantials will "turn out
a great deal better than was expected and
that before month is over, all fear of famine
win be at an end.
Universal as the drought has been there are
many localities in all the infected districts
which viii yield good return. The
general shortness of the crop will lead to
more care in gathering what is produced.
That which has been reserved from last year
will be brought into market. Less will be con-
sumed in the manufacture of bald-faced whis-
key, swill fed beef, swill fed pork, and swill
milk than of late years; and, to use Western
expression, more will be wasted in bread"
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