Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-25
THE CROPS.
The Terrible Facets of the Drought.

e The Terrible Effects of the Drought
Q The Fredericksburg eva Ledger,
= the Doth inst, says: Thsre is no dou
! that the corn crop in This part of Virgin
; is almost an entire failure. From all L
adjoining counties, with the exception
some portions of Fauquier, we have r
ports that there will be comparativel
no corn made. Some farmers are said
be cutting down all their upland corn Al
using it for the fodder, while others al
letting it remain, but say they wi
scarcely make bushel to the acre. Tn
prospect is really distressing. A fsrme
from Caroline the other day told US b
would lose near five Thousand dollars b,
the failure OF his crop. He had fou
hundred acres in corn and agreed to tax
now four hundred bushels for all tina
was made on the four hundred acres.
A correspondent of the Mobile Regis
ter writing from Marengo county, Ala.
says:
Up to the 9th inst, the prospect
throughout this season was better thar
for many years. At that time the army
worm appeared in "full force,' and is
ravaging the country. They are on all
the black lands from Demopolis to
Selma. i do not hear much complaint
yet from the sandy lands, but that
amounts to nothing, as they have always
appeared first on the black lands and
then spread or perneated everywhere.
By the early part of September, when
they will have gone through their several
transmutations, l believe there will not
be leaf on the cotton. OF course all
above the middle crop, or what is now
made, viii be destroyed, and | should
think the damage would amount to from
% to 80 per cent. f
There is more made cotton now on the
stalk than there was last year at this
time, but little having shed off from
rains, etc, but not enough with the
worm in it to make a good, much less
extraordinary crop. '. ai
Another correspondent writing from
Pickens county, Ala, says:
/ have been citizen of Pickens county
for thirty-two years, and a close observer
of the crops in Pickens, Green and Sum-
ter counties, in Alabama, and Lowndes
and Noxubee counties, in Mississippi, for
nineteen years, and do not remember
having ever seen so poor prospects for
corn as these counties have this year.
The prairie portion of these counties may
possibly make sufficient quantity Of
corn to supply them next year, but there
will be no surplus as is usual. Cause
too much rain in the spring, and not
enough in the summer. The sandy por-
ton of these counties rarely ever make
enough corn. The cotton is generally
very small and backward-the poorest
prospect ever saw, except in 1866. We
have had copious rains recently, and
cotton is growing rapidly, where it has
been worked in time and, as the worms
have not made their appearance, we may
make full crop; but must have a late
fall and no worms to do so.
Considering the various demoralizing
influences that are brought to bear on the
freedmen, they have worked and be-
haved remarkably well, though they can
not be convinced that they should be
held amenable to the laws as white peo-
pie are. This is attributable to the afore-
said influences and their incorrigible igs
1orance.
A letter from Friendship, Ga, near the
corners Of Sumter, Marion, Webster and
5chley counties, to the Macon Messen- /
ger, dated Augustl7 makes the fcl'ow-
ng allusion to the crops in that vicinity.
The writer says:
Our crops have been looking we'll and
LONG well until about a week ago. l
.hink we have average crops of corn in
his vicinity. hear of localities where
only half crops are made. | hardly
know what to say Of cotton. The dry
weather has injured it very much. The
rust has spread over some entire fields.
There is not field that | know of that
has entirely escaped it. Upon the
whole, the crop will not exceed half
:rop, unless there is more made in fuS |
;ure than l expect. The rusty cotton
;annot make any more. The guanoed |
;otton cannot make much more. We |
ire disappointed in our fertilized cotton. |
We thought month ago it would make
vice as much as that without fertilis
iers; but we cannot tell very we'll about
now.
A letter to the Macon Telegraph from
Reynolds, Taylor county, Ga, dated Au.
Just 10, says:
We shall have but little to show in
his county when crops are gathered.
III is made that will be made this year.
The rust and drought have ruined cot
on. 1t is now opening fast and no
more will be made.
A letter to the same paper from Putt
IAN county, Ga, dated August Is, says:
We are having some hot and dry
weather. just at this time which is pleas
pg to farmers They are saving thei
odder without being molested by rain,
nd they say their crops were never bet
er to the number of acres planted. Cot.
on is also very good, no rust in it vet,
leither do we hear of the caterpillar as
ct The cotton crop in Putnam is hard
0 beat. | saw on the farm of Judge A.
IOrley, near Eatonton, few days ago,
ateh Of the finest cotton | ever saw.
While walking through it concluded to
cunt the fruit of some stalks. On one
ounted 3S8 bolls and forms and on an.
ther All. His cotton is four feet in the
ow and from two to three feet in the
rill He is now greatly in favor of
uanoes and expects to use them largely
n what he cultivates the ensuing wear.
Another letter to the same PAPER from
,rawford county, Ga, dated August II, |
avs:
Our prospects have dimmed very
1uch within very short time, and from
be top of the mountain we have de-
cended very rapidly into the Slough of
)espond. Drouth and rust-drouth and
ust are all the cry. Up to the Dist or
I'd of July, we had timely seasons and
II was well. But since that time long
eason of rainless weather has distressed
II crops-cutting off the corn-precipir
ating the opening of cotton and pre-
enting the growth and development of
lew bOlls. Cotton looks sick and so do
re- With this drouth comes the rust to
omplete our misery, so that you may
ct it down as fact that the people of
crawford have been reducing their in.
ONE estimates next year very rapidly,
nd are now making fifty cents stand for
dollar.