The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-10-03
South Carolina Weather-Crop Bull
1et1n

IeClQ.
During the week ending Oct. lst, the tenn.
4 perature ranged between SO and 4s degrees,
/ the former was recorded on Sept. 80 and Oct.
1 .lst, and the latter at Loopers, Pickens,
! County, and at Reid, Greenville County on
the 25th and 2Cth respectively. The first of
the week was much colder than usual while
the latter portion was very warm.
The two last days were the only ones
comparatively clear The sunshine averaged
about 80 per cent. of the possible.
Rain began on the 25th, in portions of the
State, was general and heavy on the 26-27th,
ended gradually on the 28th, aud there were
light scattered showers, with generally clear
ing weather on the 29th. The beginning and
ending of the rainy weather marked the
dnra,ion of West Ind ian Hurricane whose
center skirted the South Carolina coast on
the 26-27tb, with gales over the entire State
but most severe along theFcoast and second
tier of counties. where the rainfall was extra
ordinarily heavy, ranging from inches at
Pipopolis to lesser amounts towards the
interior, and about an inch in the Northwest
counties. Very few streams overaowed their
banks, but heavy damage resulted from the
combired force of the rain and high winds
which reached an extreme velocity Of so miles
per hour at Charleston and probably greater
rate at Statesburg. Cotton and late corn,
pease rice aud grasses were beaten to the
orouad. and in Rtchland aud Orangeburg
counties it is reported that trees we're uprooted
by the violence of the wind. Rice Suffered
most severely, having been somewhat dam
aged bv high tides and by fresh water.
Much of it was in stacks which were more or
less scattered aud saturated, en,ailliug
great deal Of labor to dry be grain to prevent
sprouting.
The aggregate damage from this storm is
however, much less than that caused oy the
historic storm Of August 1898. This years
storm was less severe, the tides were not as
high, and, owing to having occurred later in
the season, smaller percentage of the crops
remained 10 the fields unga,hered.
The following rainfall measurements, made
during the storm, will illustrate the gradual
decrease from the coast towards the north
western counties lin inches and hundredths):
Piuopolis, 500; Charleston, 7.45: George
town, 655; Trial, 5.47; Beaufort, 6.l5;
Conway, sos; Cheraw, 4 9s; Society Hill,
4.e3; Barnwell County, 4.62; Port Royal,
4.2s: EAingham, 4 o2: Trenton, $40;
Chesterfield, 400; Blsckville, $40; Tiller's
Ferry, 3.02; Statesburg, 2.s5; Lexington,
$50; Aiken Co., 2.21; Longshere, 2.l2;
Loopers, ! .s5; Little Mountain, Las; San.
tue, l.3s; Laurens, 1.22; Mccormick, l.22;
Winnsboro, 1.7O; Columbia, l.l8; Green
Vile. !. l.0s; Watts, 0.s4; Ella. 0.75.
The force of the wind did not decrease
to the same extent as did the rainfall from
the coast towards the northwestern counties,
aud consequently the damage to corn aud
peas but more particularly to cotton was
almost general over the entire State. The
percentage of damage to cotton in the fields is
variously estimated from to 20 per cent, an
average of all the estimates making somewhat
! under 10 per cent.
Green bolls were broken off very freely.
Many, if not the greater portion, of the open
bolls were more or less stained, and where the
stalk remains green and damp, cloudy
weather caused an increase in rust, and boil
worms which late in the week again appeared
ia INJURIOUS numbers in some counties. Pick
ing was greatly hindered by the unfavorable
weather, but will be pushed rapidly from now
on, as the weather permits, as the bolls are
opening very fast, some it is thought prema-
turely.
Sea Island cotton suffered more from the
storm than the short staple varieties.
The rain was beneficial in the North Cen
trail and Western counties for late root crops,
such as turnips and late sweet potatoes, and
also for gardens, and kept grass green and
growing for pasturage.
Some oats being sown, but oats seeding
has not become general yet it is generally too
wet to prepare the ground.
Truck farmers suffered severely from the
heavy rains along the coast as the wet soil
interferes with the cultivation and marketing
of fall crops.
To the request made fer estimates of the
percentage of cotton ungathered on Oct. lst,
replies were received from all but six coua-
ties some of which raise but little cotton and
therefore would have but little effect on the
percentage for the State. A very good indi-
cation of the accuracy of the different reports
| is that in the counties from which two or
more reports were received they did not
differ more than 10 per cent, and that can
readily be ascribed to varying conditions ac-
cording to locality.
! The estimates by regions and expressed in
averages, is as follows: Alpine region IS per
cent. ungathered; Piedmont 6l; ked Hill
and Upper Plne Belt AZ; Lower Pine and
Coast regions 30. By assigning to each
region value in proportion to its cotton
acreage the average percentage of upgathered
cotton for the State, on October lst, is 81
per cent.
Counties grouped according to percentage,
the results are as follows:
Above 80 per ceut.-Lsurens, Ocooee,
Pickens.
Between 10 and 80 per cent.-Anderson
Greenville, Spartanburg.
Between so and 70 per cent.-Fair6eld,
Richland, York, Abbeville, Union.
Between 50 and go per cent.-Beaufort,
Berkeley, Florence, Williamsburg, Lancaster,
Sumter.
Between 40 and so per cent.-Hampton,
Aiken, Chesterfield, Darlington, Kersbaw,
| Lexington, Edge6eld.
Between 30 and 40 per cent.-Clarendon,
Barnwell, Orangeburg, Newberry.
Below 30 per cent. Marlboro.
In the statement that 81 per cent. remained
unga,hered, allowance was also made for the
probable damage that resulted from the
storm, in other words, the number of bales
| already gathered will likely be more than