The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-06-20
EFFECTSOF TIE DROUGHT
Weekly Bulletin Of the Condition of tue
Weather and Crops.


COLUMBIA, S. c., June 13.-The
following is the weekly bulletin
of the condition of the weather and
crops throughout the State, issued yes
te7day by State Observer Bauer:
Approximately normal or seasonable
temperatures prevailed during the past
week, it being relatively cooler near
the coast than il the interior. ct
Charleston the week average one de-
gree a day cooler than seasonable while
westward there was an average excess
Of two degrees aday. There were one
or two rather cool nights, but on the
whole the temperature was favorable.
There was very little cloudiness except
on Wednesday the 6;h, when the sky
was overcast during the afternoon.
The sunshine averaged about 80 per
cent for the State.
Ga Wednesday (6th) afternoon and
night there were scattered, light show
ers in various portions OF the State,
but they were entirely two light to re-
lieve the drOughth, amounting at no
place TO more than 0.5O inch, and gen
orally not more than d sprinkle. The
normal amount for the first week IN
June is approximately one inch. Over
many portions of the State there has
been no rain that m0iStened the SOIL
deeper than an inch or 50, since about
the 20 Of May and the previous rainfall
had not left the ground in condition
to stand a prolonged drought as the
comparative records at Charleston and
Columbia will show. At Charleston
| the average rainfall from March 1St to
June 10Th is 13.47 inches, this year the
rainfall has been 57S inches, making a
deficiency of 1863 inches. Al Columbia
| the comparison is equally unfaVoraole.
Average from Marcn 1s5 to date 1919
inches. rainfall this year, March lst to
date 5.18 inches making deficiency of
8.Ol inches. The Effects Of this deGci.
ency in rainfall are felt mostly by the
cereal crops, except possible corn and
rice, grasses, gardens, ETC., or in general
terms, food and forage crops which
stand in urgent need Of rain to prevent
| them from being more or less failures.
Pastures are dying out with no new
growth to replace the gras5ed cropped
Grasses for haymaklng no growth,
| Cow peas are being soWn on stuoble
and in corn fields, but not as they
| would be were the soil in better condl'
tion. Oats harvest continues IN Sec
tions and spring soWn oats are very
poor. Chesterfield is the only county
that reports big crop Wheat being
cut very green in western counties
with prospects vf poor yield. Threshing
begun in parts Of the State with yields
that indicate from one forth to one
half crop il yield per acre. The Wea-
| ther has been unexceptlonal for har-
yesting oats and wheat.
| Potatoes not doing well, too dry. The
setting of sweet potato sprouts prac'
tically suspended OF account Of dry
ness. Rice doing fairly we'll on bot
tom lands, but rather poorly on higher
ground, Tobacco not keeping up the
good showing previously made. Melons
not growing well, although some good
fields are reported. Gardens dying out
| and in the utmost need OF rain. Corn
| continues to look healthy bat is small
and making little or no growth. Should
the dry weather continue much longer
it will materially lnjure the corn crop.
Cotton has generally improved 10
appearance under the influence of high.
er temperatures with fairly good stand,
but continues very small and back
ward. It seeming stands the drought
better than otner crops. Cultivated
fields are clean and well worked. With
good soaking rains crops would make
rapid improvement.