Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-09-02
THE FLOOD AND THE CROPS
The Damage Done in the Counties in
and About Helena on the MissIs-
sippi, as Well as the Arkan-
sas Side.
The General Yield Will Largely Pre-
dominate The increase i'm the
UpIands Making Up for The
Decrease in the SWamps.

The Helena World has made careful
review Of the situation below, in which it
says that from all the facts that we can
CLEAN, and we have endeavored to obtain in
| formation from all sections of the bottom
land, We begin with the assertion that the
true condition OF affairs has been greatly ex-
aggeraJed, and that not near the amount of
damage has been done the growing crop as
| II as gone the rounds OF the negSpapeI press
The reports which went forth when The water
| was very high were, no doubt, owing to the
fact tDat excitement ran high, ana people
were apt to magnify things into a shape and
size larger and more terrible than they
really were. now that cooler moments have
come upon US when the excitement OF the
time has Subsided, we are qualified to look
around us and estimate alb ut the true amount
of damage dom. We will only refer TO the
country in close proximity 10 us, and from
which SO large a trade is derived annually,
Ia the counties of Tunica and Goa
homa, in Mississippi, the country was
so well protected with leYees that the
people are jubilant over the fact that only a
small PORTION of their crops have been in
iured by the water, and they will realize a
yield so abundant in the fall that they will
experience considerable difficulty In gather
ing IL. In fact we have heard planters, whose
veTacity cannot be impsached, venture the
as seTtion that such crop has never before
been made IN the two counties above named
1t is therefore useless for us to remark upOn
the condition of the crop in that locality; Jne
reader must draw his own conclusions IpOu
our own side OF the river, in consequence OF
the great deficiency of our levee system, some
of the people have been made to suffer; but
Rod when the father OF waters was rapidly
encroachtng upon each mans territory there
were no laggards among those who were fight
ing day and night tue advancing waves
Every man had his shoulder to the wheel and
put needed TO be told where to 90 thai he
might contribute his assistance and thus save
the country from 1nundattOn. In some local
tiles the people were not as successful as in
others, and consequently stood by and saw q
portion, II not all, OF their crops swept off in
short space OF time. Below this to the month
line of Desha county the bulk of the damage
affecting US Immediately has been done Sey.
eral large farms In the bottoms have been
almost completely overtiOwed but then we
must come TO consider that these farmers were
situated upon the lowest lands in the yaIIav
and naturally subjected 10 an overflow, should
one come upon US. In this same area of ter
ritOry, we must bear In mind that there are
thousands of acres OF cultivated land living in
what Is termed tne bottom which was too ele-
waited for the nigh water TO reach it, and uJon
this ground have been made the finest crors
that have ever been known in the bottnTn
Taking everything into consideration, and
reasoning from most liberal STANDPOINT
with all the facts before us that we could nos,
slbly obtain, we calculate that not more III n
one-hfth OF The bottom crop between this and
Desha county has been lost; and a great deal ,
of this loss Is made up in the Increase of
growth upon the bottom lands which Usra
not inundated in the recent high water or
the bottom country north OF us ON the Missis-
sippi aud st. Francis rivers, the damage has
been confined TO almost isolated localities
The farmers have, comparatively spealziD1
not suffered to near that extent as have ThOSi,
who are in the country south of US,
The portions OF country in the bottoms
above, which were submerged, were the ey
tremeiy low places, soughs, the bottoms of
creeks bayOus, etc. IN that section OF CouU-
Try IL looked as II the farmers had in antici-
patton a high water this year, and were more
or less protected against it. We feel safe in
estimating the loss in that portion of country
at One-tenth OF the crop, and that, too, in the
extreme bottom lands. Tne crop, instead Of
being cut short in this portion of country,
will considerably rank above that OF last
year The Oldest Inhabitants unite in tue ex-
preston that the uplands have now respects
for a larger yield than has been known for |
number OF years The Increase In the high
country Win make up and go far beyond any
loss we may have sustained in the bottoms; !
and there is no ground upon which to base an
argument that our shipments will be less than
that OF last year. The general yield will
largely predOml O ate, although some individ-
uals have been damaged to a great degree
We maze tne'e remarks that false reports
may not remain in existence regard ng us
and thus retsrd our prosperity as u country.
All tlls territory is Acknowledged to seek
Helena as Its trading point as we are so CEN
trally rituated, and we cannot say that our
prospects, are IN any degree less bright than
In 1868, the great year Of productiveness and
money.