The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-10
CROPS AND WEATHER.

CROPS AND WEATHER.
The Past we~k and the RI cords Of the
Agricultural Bureau.
COLUMBIA, s. c., Oct. 2:-The fol.
lowing is the weekly weather crop re-
port Of Weather Observer Bauer and 1t
| is unusually full and interesting:
During the week ending October l.,
the temperature ranged between SO and
48 degrees, the former was recorded on
September 80 and October I, and the
latter at Leoper's, Pickens county, and
at Reid, Greenville county, on the
25th and Goth respectively. The first
of the week was much cooler 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, and was general and heavy
on the 25th and 18th, ended gradually
on the 2Sth, and there were light scat
tering showers, with generally clearing
weather on the 29th.
The beginning and ending of the raj
nv weather marked the duration Of
West Indian hurricane, whose centre
skirted the South Carolina Coast on
the 26th and 9th, with gales over the
entire State, but most severe along the
coast and second tier of counties,
where the rainfall was extraordinarily
heavy, ranging from eight inches at
Pinopolis to lesser amounts toward the
interior, and about an inch IN the
Northwest counties. Very few streams
overhowed their banks, but heavy dam.
age resulted from the combined force
Of the rain and high winds which
reached an extreme velocity of sixty
miles per hour at Charleston and prob
ably q greater rate at Statesburg. Cot
ton and late corn, peas, rice and grass.
es were beaten to the ground, and In
Rtchland and Orangeburg counties 1t
is reported that trees were uprooted by
the violence Of the wind. Rice suffer-
ed most severely, having been some
what damaged by high tides and by
fresh water. Much of it was In stacks
which were more or less scattered and
saturated, entailtng great deal of
labor to dry the grain to prevent
sprouting.
The aggregate damage from this
storm, Is however, much less thai that
caused by 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 re.
mained In the fields ungathered.
The following rainfall measurements,
made during the storm, will illustrate
the gradual decrease from the coast to.
wards the North western counties, I'm
inches and hundredths) Pinopolts 10,
Charleston Z. As, Georgetown 6 55. Trial
5.47, Beaufort 6 .15, Conway sos, Che
raw 1893, Society Hill 4.93, Barnwell
county 1852, Port Royal 4.27, Efing.
ham 4.02, Trenton 3.49, Cnesterti sld
400, Blackville $40. Tiller's Ferry O2.
Stetesburg 285. Lexington 2 30, Aiken
county 2 20. Longshore 2.12. Looper's
1.85, Little Mountain 1:45, Ssntuc l l.3S,
Laurens LIZ, Mccormick 1.22, Winns'
boro ITO, Columbia 1.18, GreenVille
l 90, Watts 0.84, Ella 0.75.
The force OF the wind did not de-
crease to the same extent as did the
rainfall from the coast towards the
North western counties and conse-
quentIy the damage to corn and peas,
out more particularly to cotton, was
almost general over the entire State.
The percentage Of damage to cotton In
the fields Is variously estimated from 3
to 20 per cent, an average OF all tae
estimates making somewhat under III
per cent.
Green bolls were broken off very
freely. Many, If not the greater por.
tion, of the open bolls were more or less
stained and where the stalks remains
green the damp cloudy weather caused
an Increase In rust and bell worms
which late In the week again appeared
In injurious numbers in some counties.
Picking was greatly hindered by the
unfavorable weather, but will be push.
ed rapidly from now on, as the weather
permits, as the bolls are opening very
fast, some, 1t Is thought, prematurely.
Sea Island cotton suffered more from
the storm than the short staple varie.
ties. =,
The rain was beneficial In the North
central and Western counties for late
root crops, such as turnips and late
sweet potatoes. and also for gardens,
and kept grass green and growing Tor
pastursge.
Some oats being sown, but oats seed.
ing has not become general yet; 1t 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 for estimates OF
the percentage of cotton ungathered
on October l, replies were received
from all but six counties, some of
which raise but little cotton and there
fore would have but little effect on the
percentage for the State. A very good
Indication of the accuracy Of the differ
ent reports Is that Ia counties from
which two, or more reports were re-
ceived they did not differ more than
10 per cent, and that can readily be as.
cribed to varying conditions according
to locality.
The estimates by regions and ex-
pressed in averages, are as follows:
Alpine region IS per can't. ungathered.
Piedmont 81, Red Hill and Upper Pine
Belt 42, Lower Pine and Coast regions
80. BY assigning to each region a value
in proportion to its cotton acrerge the
average percentage of ungathered cot
ton for the State, on October 1, is 81 per
cent.
Counties grouped according to per
centages, the results are as follows:
Above 80 per cent. Laurens, Oconee,
Plckens; between 10 and 80 per cent
Anderson, Greenville, Spsrtanburg; be-