Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-06
DAMAGED BY rHE RAINS
The Truck Farms and Melon Fields
Flooded-The Peach Crop B1ighted-
Shipments Rapidly Drawing to a
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The Truck Farms and Melon Fields
Flooded-The Peach Crop Blighted-
Shipments Rapidly Drawing to a
Close-Rise in the Peach Market.
The recent rains have been the sub
ment, as they followed one another
in a succession Of showers, more or less
severe, during nineteen successive days
in June, and four days in July, and it was
feared that much damage had been done.
A reporter of the MORNING NEWS
called on a number Of gardeners and
fruit growers yesterday in order to
obtain an approximate idea of the injury
20 growing vegetables and fruits, and
learned that in some portions of the coun-
ty, where. potatoes were planted in low
ground, the beds were covered with wa
ter, and the crop was probably ruined by
rot. In some neighborhoOds there is a
prospect of saving a small portion of
the crop, but the extent of the
acreage that will be saved cannot be APP
proximated. Cabbages that were in the
ground are seriously damaged, except in
a few isolated places. Tomatoes have
generally escaped damage, while okra and
guinea squash or egg plant are almost q
total failure. The vines of the latter
vegetable were beaten down, and where
this fruit touched the earth it has been
damaged by rot. The only vegetable
which has thTiyed during the wet spell is
the sweet potato, which is rapidly grow
ing and gives indications of fine yield,
1t is safe to say that over one-half, if not
three-quarteIs, Of the expected yield of
vegetables in this section for the season
is wholly destroyed. Corn, cotton and
grass, like the sweet potato, are in a
fiourishing condition.
The peach crop has also been greatly
damaged and the market is in conse-
quence quotably higher. The rain caused
the fruit all through the State to fill out
too rapidly, and the yield gives indication
of speedy decay, which shows itself first
in a mere speck on the surface
followed by rapid rotting of the fruit. A
gentleman living in Washington county
said yesterday that two or three weeks
ago he felt sure of shipping 10000 baskets
from his orchards, whereas he had sent
to the market only 5000 baskets.
The fruit was rotting so fast
that it would be useless to
forward another shipment. The reports
from all the peach growers show that
about tw0-thirds of the crop i8destroyed.
The melon crop has also suffered, the
rains causing the melons to lose their
sweetness or to drop from the vine.
Canteloupes and muskmelOns have
been injured, many OF them r0tting
before ripening.
The late crop of watermelons is de-
stroyed, especially in the Southern por-
ton of the State. The greater portion
of the early crop has been forwarded
to market, and the seasons ship
ments will probably be concluded in about
ten or fifteen days. The Savannah, Florida
and Western Railway Company made
arrangements to forward this season, in
accordance with the expectations of
planters, based upon the acreage in cul-
tivation, 5000 car loads. They have al
ready forwarded less than 1 200 car loads,
and as the season is expected to close
in a couple of weeks at the
latest, the total shipments over that line
and its connections of melons grown
within the State will hardly exceed 500
car loads more. The shipments of late
vegetables over this road averages about
two car loads daily, or 1900 crates at the