Weekly national intelligencer., 1860-08-04
THE DROUGHT IN THE SOUTHWEST

The St Louis Evening News of the 25th instant gives
gloomy accounts of the general and disastrous rough
that has prevailed the whole South and blasted the
hopes of the planting region in their corn crops The
News says:
For several years Texas has been annually parehed by
the arid breath of the desert; but this year the flame
srocco has pushed far towards the East and scorch
ed the fields of Louisiana Mississippi Alabama and large
portions of Arkansas and Tennessee The southwest
ton of State is also visited and we have letter
giving most melancholy account of the blasted cornfeds
IN the counties of Benton Polk, ST. Clair Bates Henry
Hickory and other countless
But in the extreme South the crisis of desoaon seems
to have been reached The following article from the Re-
publican, published at Marshall (Texas) near the Louisia
ma State ne tells the story for that region which is one
of the richest in the South:
The drought still continues without the slightest pros
pect of rain The crop ruined beyond redemption
1t Is now clearly ascertained fact that there will be
scarcely sufficient raised for bread Cotton has begun
suffer severely and the continuance of the drought
days longer will finish it, Many persons are already out of
and fields from which they anticipated rich har-
vest present parched and desolae appearance Let If
turn as it may there bound to be less distress
large cotton crop and early navigation would afford great
relief; but if these fall it difficult to furesee and un
pleasant to contemplate the result The drought
inclined to believe has prevailed generally the South
country In portions of Texas fine crops have
been raised but in the great portions of the State they
have been ruined by the drought 1t stated that nearly
make bread"
The Paulding (ss) Clarion of the 18th adds the fol
lowing evidence on the same point IN that State:
The thermometer has ranged for several DAYS from 100
to 104 degrees in the shade The crops are rrevoca-
bly, ruined except where it planted late and upon rich
hammock or prairie lands. On The upands scarcely any
can possibly be made Many fields that would of or
dinary years bring fifteen twenty bushels to the acre
will not yield two. distressing prospect around
them planters never had. The cotton much
thor h11tr
to expend pretty much the whole proceeds of their
to supply the failure to raise provisions
Commenting on the foregoing paragraphs the "News'
says:
We have room, is it necessary TO add other ex-
tracts bearing on the same subject Southern Journals
TEEN with them, and left deal with state of un
paralleled scarcity of breadstu in the Southern States
this year unquestionabe fact While it is no matter
of pleasure of indifference to know that any large
portion of countrymen are disappointed of their ex
peeed supplies it is certainly gratifying know that other
regions of the country have produced surplus quite large
enough to feed the South and that series of years of un
interrupted prosperity at the South and cotton crop this
year of extraordinary magnitude make the South abun
dainty able to buy and pay for all the provisions that the
Northwest can spare We shall not be dependent there
FORE the markets of Europe for good prices for bread
stufs The Southern States will furnish better and
nearer Market and ST. Louis will be the city to gather and
ship souhward the needed supplies 1t requires espe
ca sagacy to oresee for St. Louis the largest and
profitable grain trade within the next twelve months
known in history Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Min
nesota have the largest crop this year raised
any country"
correspondent of the New Orleans Delta gives the fol-
lowing dark picture of the crops portion of the South
have just returned from trip through many parts of
the States of South Carolina Georgia, Alabama and Mis-
sssipp, and, interested in the planting business
observed closely the crops in the several localities through
which passed
Never in my life have witnessed such injury to grow
ing crops by drought have in the above States in the
last three weeks also met with intelligent planters at
all points who ourneying from home business or
for amusement and they unanimously testified though re-
uctany to the widespread destruction of and cot
on vegetables and fruits not only at their own homes but
IN various sections they had
The corn in many places is entirely destroyed even un
ut for fodder Planters waited, hoping for rain and SO
the blades and stalks have dried from root to se having
not even shoot upon them.
Cotton Is whiting, shedding leaves, forms, sooms and
bols Even copous and continuous showers henceforth
VIII not only fail to arrest this destruction but aggravate
it, by causing shedding and second growth which
will be too late for maturity in the fall be it ever SO ate