The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-05
.eR1cULrURAL DEPARTMENT
Fbs Field, Farm and Garden.

,vo s,licit articles for this department.
,s.nameof the writer should accompany
:, Litter or article, not necessarily for pub
..,o, b,.t as an evidence of good faith.
mia Drought and Its Effect Upon the
Crops
If there be truth in the old saying that a
DIV seed bed makes good harvest, and If
;. snnlies to cotton and corn crops, there is
- - reason for the farmers of the South
9tlontic region entertaining great expecta-
.;o,e from the present years crops. They
,orteinly have had dry seed beds for every
go, that has been planted this year.
crc6t showers have occurred from time to
time giving enough moisture to keep the
,,,rface soil in good condition for prepara-
t;o, and planting, and the manifestation of
.be deficiency of rain that has been steadily
or,oulative since way back in September is
,,o+ N he found 50 much in the immediate
srrfacs as shown in the internal conditions
visiting 20 60 feet below the surface The
oFacts of the drolth (the deficiency may
ho characterized as such) which, beginning
IN the early fall, extended over the whole of
,rioter and continued into the spring is ex-
bihifed in a greet lack of water in the ordi-
nary surface wells, showing that the under
cronnd streams are verv low, and in many
cases are entirely dry. Many wells through
ont this section that ordinarily afford an
abundance Of water have little or no water
in them at this time. Many Of these where
the depth was not greater than forty feet
became dry several months ago. The total
rain at this point from Sept. to April 90
foots up only 1859 inches. The average
rainfall for the eight months embraced be-
tween these two dates is about thirty three
inches.
The last four months of 1889 exhibited a
deficiency of about five inches. In the four
months of the new year the rainfall has
been a fraction over nine inches thus far,
where the average for many years has been
nineteen inches. The nominal deficiency is
therefore about fifteen inches.
The question now that interests the prac.
teal farmer is whether this deficiency will
be made good shortly after the manner
that a similar deficiency was made good in
the Mississippi valley; or will the amount of
rain due us be gradually afforded by more
copious and more frequent seasons" during
the summer months--never being SO excess
sive at any one time as to produce over
flows or to stop the plows for any great
length of time.
In the absence of complete records bear
ing upon the subject it cannot be known of
course whether so dry and warm fall and
winter has ever occurred before. One thing
We do know, however, and that is that it
has been a rare occurrence so far as the
recollection of man gees. and is not likely
TO be repeated in a good many years. The
past eight months with its meteorological
conditions taken as a whole certainly has
not had its counterpart in recent years.
Since Nov. 81 only one rain as heavy as an
inch and half has fallen in the locality,
and of the other rains that occurred only
four amounted to half an inch. The rest of
the rainfall was made up by showers aver
aging little less than a quarter of an
inch. 1t was reserved for March to afford
whatlittle winter weather occurred during
the season.
Abnormally warm as the three winter
months were peach trees showed no sign of
blooming until the close of March, and it
was the first of April before the oaks and
elms began to put forth their young leaves,
and the dogwood to spread its bloom. The
truth of it is there was not moisture enough
available to meet the requirements of bud
ding, either in the orchard or forest
Rains sufficient for the purpose did not
occur until March % and April l, and the
latter being the heaviest rain that fell dur
ing the eight months alluded to, and it
to only one inch and half
1t was a good thing for the peach trees
that they had become no further advanced
in March than they were, for the cold
waves on March 2 and March 16 gave hard
freezes on both dates, with a minimum
temperature of 220 in one instance and 21o
in the other. For three consecutive days
during the first week in March the temper
ature fell below 26o This would have set
tied the fruit buds if they had been as far
advanced as they usually are at that date.
To what extext the older trees will bear
fruit this year even under the most favora-
BILE conditions henceforth is question that
VIII provoke interesting observation from
all interested in the subject of fruit After
such fruitful year as the last one proved
to be it need not be expected in view of the
characteristics of the tree that the heavy
bearers of last year will produce anything
Ike the quantity of fruit that they did
then.
Many trees did their best last year, and
thousands of trees. mostly of the early
sorts (budded or root grated throughout
this section show very clearly that their
period of usefulness is over. Many are
dead, and many more appear enfeebled.
Every old tree that had vitality enough
left to throw out a branch bore its
quota of peaches last year, making the
supreme effort OF their lives" it appears.
In restoring orchards the fruit grower of
THIS section who has learned his lessons from
experience will certainly avoid one error
that he has heretofore made. Instead of
planting out SO many of the early grated
Kinds he will return to some of the old
Kinds that are not so early, but more endur-
Ing. And in addition to this he will bestow
more attention to seedlings, securing part
OF his peach orchard by planting the seeds
Where the tree is to remain, and budding
ana grating such as those on the spot with