Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-08-16
The Drought and the Crops,

While the West is all full of rejoicing Mt the
maqpi6cence of the harvest, a dark cloud OF
despondency seems to hang over the Southern
States The long protracted drought has
proved most destructive to crops, andit is eStl
mated that in cotton, corn and hay the plant
ers will experience a loss of severai millions OF
dollars A drought like the present IN Eastern
Texas. Louisiana and Mississippi, is not with
in remembrance. In many sections no rain has
fallen for fully three months The nights have
been hot and dewless, while hercely blazing
SIMS wthering blasts Of heated air, with fire.
ouent hurricanes, and in some sections storms
of rain and hail. will render memorable for
many year the days of the summer Of 1860
The corn fields are so completely burned up as
in many instances not to afford even fodder
for cattle The cotton crops, which usually
withstand all droughts, are alike victims TO 1t.
The forest trees, unable to draw moisture from
the earth to supply themselves with necessary
sap, are dropping and prematureIy shedding
their foliage, and still the wltherlnS curse pro
walls. In Louisiana the sugar cane crop Will
probably be Indifferent. In the Mississippi
and Yazoo valleys the corn crop is failure,
and the cotton exceedingly unpromising In
Tennessee the wheat crop is failure at least
.one-half the farmers will not gather as much
as was Sown None have full crop.
In Pennsylvania the yield of wheat has been
fair, and very excellent crop of it has been
gathered, but the fields are now parched and
dr7. Corn is suffering and pasturage is not to
be found. The Bucbs County IataA9eacer
SAYS of that locality-and the same is trne of
most other sections of the State-that for a
month past, except in some favored spots, the
corn has been making but very little progress,
and there are plenty 0, fields n which stalks are
more than two feet high. On the high, shelly
ridges, there cannot possibly be a crop of corn
let the weather hencefOrward be u favorable
as it may. Iu different portions of the county
there are many fields which 10y no possibility
can produce one-fourth of crop The plants
are stunted and yellow, and the blades rolled
up like a cigar from want of moisture TaSSelS
are shooting out from these abortiye stalks,
they are not equal to the effort of forming
ears There are some localities where the
corn looks comparatively well-Such as the
creek bottoms and limestone valleys. The
early planted corn stands the drought much
the best The Harrisburg Pctrjot says the
farmers Of Dauphin county have finished their
oats harvest, and are now preparing for seed
time Here and there an attempt has been
made to plough, but the ground is too dry and
dusty. Rain is an1iously looked for Early
sowing is fashionable in this region, and with
il the next three or four weeks q large amount
Of grain will be put in the ground.
In New jersey the Patterson Guordiaa
saws the buckwheat promises we'll Apples
bid fair to be more abundant than al any other
time in the memory of the oldest inhabtaut
Corn is growing finely in Bergen county,
though suffering for water Potatoes have
been back somewhat by the long continued
drought, but will doubtless yield good crop.
Tine barns are full Of rye, wheat and hay. Oats
has suffered from drought, but an average crop
is reported.
In some parts OF Massachusetts,, currant WINE
making has become great business, and cur
rants, rhubarb, and various other juicy pro
duets are in great demand All the currauts
are picked as soon as ripe, and sold before they
are picked il has been difficult this season to
get a good look at currants at two dollars per
bushel, and any person could sell cart load
III day.
In good part of Maine the heat has been
excessive and the grass crop shortened but a
correspondent, writing from Oxford county,
hane, says hay is twothirds of crop, and
the quality extra AL kinds Of grains are
good but potatoes suffer for want Of rain
Corn is backward, owing to dry, cold weather
In parts of Vermont, neaE Lake Champain
the drought has been very severe so much so,
that one farmer is said to have got only two
tons of hay from 81 acres. All accounts con
cur in saying that the wheat crop Of Michigan
now berin gathered is the largest ever raised
in the State. The corn, oats, rye aud barley
are in the same category.
The pear crop in Eastern Massachusetts
will be very good this season. The apple crop
in all the Eastern States, and also in New
York and Pennsylvania, promises to be large