The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-08-24

ed by the oldest inhabitants Scarcely enough rain
has fallen since the early part of July, to lay the
duet in the roads, and accounts from some Of the
counties represent tie pastures "a nearly destitute
Of herbaee and tie fields In many places as barren
Of vegetation as II fire rad swept over them. The
potss, crop - badly injured by rust. and it is
thought the yield will no more than supply the home
demand. At st. Adams and other pa ,es from
which we have advices. potatoes are selling from
80 cents to 81 l5p per bushel ana the starca maou.
factories viii be unab.e TO secure any supply for
their purposes. Germ will out only abonI half
crop. The 6 ass and grain r"ps in the nortt ern
sections Of the State have suffered much. aad the
Latter IN many cases rave been III wed for fodder.
From New HAMPSHIRE ard Name We have &C.
counts almost equally Encouraging. In some places,
i IA said that corn and potatoes will prove almost
total loss. TIE stresms are so low II the latter
State, that river stesmb ats have been mpe W
suspend tner trips vile il all three OF the Sta
OF Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine mills Of
various DESCRIPTION al Q Etslly upaoe to operate.
TIE Drought extends with greater or less severit.
far to the west and south. In Kansas there has
been no rain for fifty days; and In Central Illinois,
in large districts Of Indiana, Ohio Michigan, New
York, Penney lvania, Mar land, and otaer States,
the corn and potato crops are IN condition lule II
any better than those II Vermont In the former
Hint is these rs0 crops almost total failure
aud sericps spprehensions enter Ia ned that Of
the latter there will not be sufficient su ply for
winter food. Such are the features Of intelligence
Which CONES to band by every mail, fully warrant
ing the ass rtion trat The presens is tee driest
mer which has oecu REQ since 1926
The present drought is No qnestioDSbly more ex
tenfive and sestrucive than any which hss hereto
fore taken place in this country; and although the
wheat crop Ii better and mole abunaapt than was
at first exl ected, yet the deicien y which must
arise in other leaoing crops, 70 largely depended
upon for TODD, VII inevitably cut off all hope Of
reduced rrices for Enis year. e inplain of
drought oh at irst cor fined To few Isolated
lccf1iies, have continued to multiply and extend,
untu they now cover sume tw snty States. and
with Inc certainty thai upon la ge portion 0ftnis
vast territory those crops will prove to be only
about half the usual product while in numerous
Localities scarcely bushel 1ill be ga cred from
Wbole held, and farmers are already compelled
10 iced their cattle from winter stores drive them
10 Inc woods to browse, or send them to the
shambes to save them from actual starvation
with such facts these, it is easy to foesee that
there can be NJ prospect Of cheap food for the
coming winter. With probable loss to the coun.
try Of perhaps not less thsn orc hundred and
twertJ five mill Of dollars, by this Wholesale dss
uucfi0n Of some OF It's nostimp0rtant crops and those
the crops ur0n which 1t relies for the sustep ace OF
life, u ie evident tbat al clas cs of society must
shale in the disastrous results. bat none much IS
the poor ana those OF moderate meaVk Aud
although the immense resources Of the country
wholly. precluoe the possibility Of . famine, yet
promise ere long t, b. realized, give rise to many
tuggessit Ds thar may be advsu tseeously improved
BY large clssses OF people in every community.
even Indispensable requisites for the emergen y,
which, for aught that DOW appears, will be fully
equal to its threatened severity.
From the Hartford Courant, Aug 2sl
There has not be- u 70 extensive and so lamenta.
Bile drought prevailing for many years. It ia said
much suspect that the drought of that year did not
cover such an extent Of territory. In other Attic
tive spen atoms Of this descs psi6n the ruin has
not been 30 complete or 80 extensive. When there
try, there usually tas bsen abundance in ano
tber The Allegbat les have often been the line Of
demarca,ion, and different descriptions Of weather
have prevailed on each side.
But now the whole country shares in the same
misfortune. From Maine to Alabama on the South
ard to Iowa 90 The West. there is the same COM
plant. The whole country il suffering for the want
Of rain. We say su0eri0g-for although no actual
mil viii be felt, Jet the thousand little inconve-
niences, the deprivati0ns, and the absolute small
losses which every poor family as well as the far
mers, must en- OuaIer 10 the want Of water, foot
up to series If ann o. ances that amount to suffer-
weight" -'A-s y = ~ ''"' '' "' "
The effects Of this draueht on the crops must be
disastrous, and produce much individual suit riag.
TIE late potato crop, which In much depended noon
in NortheIn New England, and some Of the othe r
States, must be much injured, and must bring With
It serious Inconvenience TO many poor families.
The wheat was generally got in In good order, and
win prove respectable crop, so that famine can
exist, and there will, undoa0 edly, be surplus
eI ough 70 pay some part Of our foreign indebted.
ness But the corn crop Of the West 1t is said,
will prove failure, and the hopes and dependencies
Of many Western farmer bo disappointed. The
cottcn crop Of tie South will be CD injured and
the resources Of that section thus diminished.
The late feed 10 the cattle raising States will be
destroyed diminished TINT butter will be scarce,
unless the rams 81 September aud October should
revive the grass The want OF fail feed, and the
prospects for the winter, viii have q tendency,
however, TO compel the cal raiscrs to drive their
beeves and sh. ep to market, 50 that the price Of
meats Will III doubtsdy lule much lower than they
have done; but the bsef thus forced upon tle mar.
ket will probably be Of an inferior quality.
In the valley OF the Cpnrectcu there Is less suf-
fern from The drought than in very many places.
Our meadows baye been kept moist BY the morning
fogs u the past few weeks, and our corn does not
suffer much as in many other towns.
As the country il clea ed up, and there are fewer
trees to interch ange moisture With the atm ,-pherc
and surface Of The s)l for the h Ut summer
sun to pssch and cry mp, these oughts will be the
more severe and extensive Measures hare been
already taken to supply oar large cities with wa'er
for TIE comfort OF all and this custom will soon be
followed even by small villages, rather than expert
eDce the depfivaoDs Of drosgnt, year after yea.
Farmers, too. VIII commence systems not only OF
private but Of public irrigation. Private enrpriss
and INDUSTRY must commence 1t new. Ea yh farmer
should make 1t an obec, Of deep study aad deliJe.
ration how he cen best irrigate his lauds. Soma
| expense and much labor siil be here needed, bat
the object is 40 I'M portrait one as That of the
nures. But the subject IL more apt TO DO neglected
because its ecesity to the extent that now pre-.
vals, ID not apparent every se&eon.
There a. 81 cams on almost every farm that
might be damned MP Tor purposes Of irrigation, and
In time ike the present the wa'er conveyed t.
the parched crops and tie with-ring grass Such
dTtus hts will teach farmt the value vi irrigation
| and the ecessity Of being preosrd for IL.
In some sections Of orr couotry, such will be the
future value Of our crops, the necessity Of their
uriioi rnity, and tho possibility Of yearly drought
snat hrgc public companies must be formed or men
of capital among az iculturis fo the irrigation
Of whole towns rpon large scale. They win prove
~ important a. the supplying OF light aud waicr TO
city. Such institutions w,ll protect whole regions
huge reservoirs the banks Of rivers, to be filed
with their surplus waters and 70 carry their rrfrs
ing Influences to all tue tiers OF the soil by means
OF a9uedncts. Or works may DO so built on tle
margin Of lakes "a 10 be sbe 10 use the water thus
lying idle for the best Of pu~posas In an agricul
tural cosntr- like ours, with the enterprise wo
! possess, these things viii soon he attended to, and
The country viii be thus supplied with water ~ well
AZ the citX