The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-10-15
THE WEATHER AND CROPS.


! THE WEATHER AND CROPS.
Closing Bulletin of the Season-The
Effect of the Recent Drought.
The following is the final report OF
the weather bureau foruthe season OF
1898, and will be found Of unusual in.
terest TO the farming community
The week ending Monday, October
Ith, was cooler than usual over ohe
entire State, the departure from the
normal having been greatest on the
first three da, when it ranged Fl ON s
to II degrees per day below, after
which there was gradual rise to nor
ma or above on Sunday and Monday
18th and 7th). The temperature for
the week ranged between 92 at Colum-
bia on the 7th and &c at Greenvills on
the lst
Thers wore frosts on the lSt, Ind
and Sd, reaching from the extreme
western portions OF the State into
the central and northeastern counties
where, however, but little or no injury
resulted. In the western and extreme
northern counties the frost was heavy,
killing pea-vincs, sweet potato vines,
very late corn, and what cotton leaves
that remained green, but it was not
cold enough to injure cotton bolls.
There was an entire absence of rain
during the week and the drought be-
came greatly intensified. Over the
whole State there has not been more
than at best q trace of rain since from
the 9th to the 18th of September, and
in many places there has been no beue-
licial rain since the 23d of August. The
effect of the drought has been to cut
short the pea crop stop the growth of
cotton and cut OIL tue top crop; prevent
late corn from tilling properly; to cut
OIL the yield of sweet potatoes, csti-
mated at from to to greatly reduce,
ii not make an entire failure, Of fall
root crops in general to reduce the
yield of molasses from sorghum and
suSar-cane to ruin fall gardens; to
keep back the growth of winter vege-
tables on tie coast truck farms : and to
prevent the sowing of small grains.
However, the long continued dry,
sunny weather gave excellent oppor-
tunity for making hay Of all varieties
and very large fodder crop was saved
In the very best condition for drying
out and housing corn for picking cot
ton, which made rapid progress, and
the lint has been saved in beautiful
condition and for general harvest
work
There were showers over the west
ern and central counties during the
afternoon of the TLh and early morn
ing of the Sth (Tuesday) that will be
benz fetal to turnips, etc, but likely
discOlored open cotton to some extenL.
The amounts that fell have not been
reported to this Office, but the rainfall
in places WAS heavy.
There wa, almost continuous clear
weather the whole week, on the 7th
alone was the sky obscured by clouds
in the v. stern portion.
The condition Of the various crops
remains practically unchanged at the
end of the week.
1tapld progress was made in picking
and harvesting cotton, so that it is
generally reported from the eastern
portions of the State that ut least two
thirds OF the crop has been picked and
large proportion OF it marketed.
What remains in the fields, in that
section, Is all open, and picking will
be finished in from two to Three weeks,
ii the wea her remains favorable. In
the western portion Of the State pick
ing Is less advanced, but even there
nearly the whole crop is open, and
picking and marketing is being pushed
Tne prevailing satisfactory price OF
cotton is causing the farmers to sell as
fast Us gathered. AS picking advances
towards completion the smailness OF
the crop becomes more and more ap
parent.
There is little more to add to what
has been said of corn in previous bul
letins. Husking and housing ha,
been carried on to some extent, but
the weather has been such that corr
did not demand immediate attention
was, in fact, better conditioned in the
husk than it would have been in th,
crib. The crop Is large enough TO sup
ply the needs of the State, with pos
sib'y surplus
TDe entire season has favored th,
harvesting OF rice, and that work i
practically completed on the coast am,
i river plantations upland rico faiiet
rapidly during September, and i
ripening very Enthusiastically,
Peas Of late planting did not ill
well, and Will be IL short crop. Earl
peas yielded well.
Sweet potatoes and second crop o
Irish potatoes are yielding very poor
ly generally, although quite we'll i
places.
The growing season is now practi
cally ended and little change can Occu
In The condition Of the different crop
not yet ent rely gathered.
IL is unnecessary to review tho set
son as Il whole, as IL file of these bu
) letins is a better record, except to sa
, that, everything considered the farm
; ers of South Carolina have abundar
reason to feel satisfied with the season
: results, for while some crops were vi
dolbtedly short others were CORE
ponding large.
Although the weather conditio'
may not have been perfect. and til
: crops might have been larger, "
few, IL any, Statos Jared better, whi
many Jared worse. The entire absenC
. of destructive storms of wind, rain, {
hail is worthy of no ice.
. Constipation and sick headache pos
lively cured by Japanese Liver Pellet
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