The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-07
CROPS In NEED OF RAIN.
VEGETATION DRYING UP FOR
WANT OF MOISTURE.

Truck Farmers Discouraged Over the
Outlook-The Largest Potato Crop
Known, in Danger from the Dry Spell
Vegetables Dwarfed and the
Smaller Crops Seriously Injured
Good Prices the Only Offset to the
Drought.
The truck farmers seem to be somewhat
discouraged over the dismal outlook which
they imagine to be in store for them. Dur
ing all Of April the rainfall was only III
of an inch, the lowest recorded here for
seventeen years, and while the drought did
not have an appreciate effect upon the
earlier vegetables, such as peas, cabbages,
and asparagus. it is now beginning to show
upon the later alternating crops of peas and
cabbage, and on beans and potatoes.
A MORNING NEWS reporter visited some
of the gardens on Hutchinson's Island yes
terday and found the ground hard and dry,
the vegetation turning yellow from the
drought, except where the bitches have
been well watered. The absorption from
the bitches, however, has done much to Off
set the lack of rain.
The Massies have been harvesting some
very fine Strawberries They have about
$50 acres Of ground for culture, and they
have set about 80, 900 asparagus roots.
THE CROP OUTLOOK.
Potatoes and beans are doing well con-
sidering the drought, but the yield will be
materially diminished if rain does not come,
and come early.
The bulk of the Savannah pea shipments
Tor the season have gone forward, and the
vines are dying, or in some instances have
been removed and preparations made for
rotating crops, although the Commercial
bulletin of Saturday gravely remarks
that Savannah peas have also appeared "
If the sleepy market reporter of that paper
had taken the hot tramp through the truck
gardens yesterday that was taken by tho
MORNING NEWS reporter he would have
found that the shipments of Savannah peas
had long since been begun, and are now be-
ginning to disappear
THE FIRST POTATO SHIPMENTS.
The first shipments of Irish potatoes went
out in the New York steamer yesterday,
and they will continue for some time The
crop is very large, and the quality good.
Notwithstanding the lack of rain the pota-
toes are large, and will command good
prices. The drought. if it continues through
this week, will affect the later crops, and it
has already stiffened prices. Although
oaJuruayS highest quotations Tor Florida
potatoes was IS 80 to So, Savannah ship
pers expect to realize 81 TO So per barrel for
their early crop, with a prospect for in
creased prices If the second crop is not re-
vived by rain. Cabbages have already ad-
vanced 81 per barrel, and Savannah beans
are quoted as high as IS per crate, and
will command more than those quotations.
The truck farms on the suburbs of the
city look well when the phenomenal dry
spell is considered, but the vitality of grow
ing crops must soon yield if rain does not
visit them soon. When once the potato
tuber quits growing no subsequent fall of
rain will help it. 1t then takes on what is
called the second growth" smaller tubers
growing on the potato. A good rain now
would make the crop one of the most re-
markable ever grown in this section.
FARMERS GETTING HIGH PRICES
The drought is dwarfing beans, cucum.
bers and squashes, and they will not yield
half as we'll as if they had had a good rain
week ago. Some cucumbers and sQuashes
were slapped last week, and have COM
manded good prices. The losses sustained
in the reduced volume of shipments will be
somewhat relieved by the increased prices,
but as the bulk of the acreage this year
was in potatoes. the dry weather will be
very disastrous to the farmers if it is not
followed by rain, aud plenty of it.
Reports from Charleston are even more
lugubrious, there having been less rain
there this spring than in this section 1t is
predicted that lone of the finest crops ever
started in Charleston will be sadly cut
down, if not ruined" unless a good rain
comes in a very short time