The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-10-17
THE WEATHER AND CROPS.
Closing Bulletin of tho Season--The
EtfcCt Of tho Recent DrOmGht.

Closing Bulletin of the Season-Tht
Effect OF tho Recent Drought.
The following is the final report oi
the weather bureau foruthe season OF
1898, and will be found Of unusual in
terest to tho farming community:
The week ending Monday, October
Ith, was cooler than usual over ohe
entlro State, tho departure from the
normal having been greatest on the
first three daJ . when it ranged fl ON s
to ~ degrees per day below, after
which there was gradual rise TO nor
mai or above on Sunday and Monday
18th and Uh). The temperature for
| the week ranged between 92 at Colum-
| bia on the 7th and &c at Grccnville on
| the lst
There were frosts on tho lst, 2nd
and 81. 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 WIS not
| cold enough to IN jurc cotton bolls.
There was an entire absence of rain
| during the week and tho drought be-
camC greatly intensified. Over thc
whole State there has not been moro
| than at best u trace Of rain since from
the 9th to the 18th Of September, and
| In many places there has bccn no bcne.
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 of the top crop prevent
late corn from filling prop@riy; to cut
OH the yield Of sweet POTATOES, esti-
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
sugar-cane to ruin fall gardens to
keep back tho growth Of winter vcgc-
tables on the 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 worry best condition for drying
out and housing corn for picking cot
ton, which made rapid progress, and
the lint has been saved in a beautiful
condition and for general harvest
work.
There wore showers oyer the west
ern and central counties during the
afternoon OF the Tth and early morn
ing OF tho Sjh (Tucsday) that will be
benz ticia] to turnips, etc, but likely
disc0lOrcd open cotton to some cXtunt.
The amounts that fell have not been
reported to this office, but the rainfall
| in places was heavy.
There was almost continuous clear
weather tho whole week. on tho 7th
alone was the sky obscGred by clouds
IN tho western portion.
Tho condition OF the various crops
remains practically unchanged at the
end of the week.
Rapid progress was made in picking
and harvesting cotton, SO that it is
generally reported from the eastern
portions OF the State that at least two
| thirds OF the crop has boon picked and
u 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,
IL the weather 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.
| Tho prevailing satisfactory price OF
cotton is causing the farmers to sell as
fast as gathered. AS picking advances
towards completion the smallncss Of
the crop becomes more and more ap-
parent.
There is little more to add to what
mas ocen said Of corn In previous bull
lctlnJ. Husking and housing has
been carried on to some extent, but
tho weather has been such that corn
did not demand immediate attention,
was, in fact, better conditioned in the
husk than it would have been in the
crib. The crop is large enough to sup.
ply tho needs OF the State with pos
siby u surplus.
Tho entire season. has favored the
harvesting OF rice, and that work is
practically completed on the coast and
river plantations, upland rice failed
rapidly during September, and is
rlpcnlng worry unsatisfactory
Peas OF late planting did not fill
well, and will be IL short crop. early
peas yielded we'll.
Sweet potatoes and second crop OF
Irish potatoes arc yielding very poor
ly generally, although quite well in
places.
The growing season is now practi-
cally ended and little change can occur
in the condition of the different crops
not yet entirely gathered.
1T ls unnecessary to review the sea-
son as a whole, as a file Of these bull
lctins is a better record, except to say
o''''p, ovoiy 'hinS Cousiucfcu INC laflD
crs OF South Carolina have abundant
reason to feel satisfied with the seasons
rcsu It's, for while some crops were un-
doubtcdly short others were CORES
ponding large.
Although the weather c0nditio' s
may not have been perfect. and the
crops might have been larger, yet
few, il any, States Jared Dcttor, while
many Jared worse. Tho entire absence
OF destructive storms OF wind, rain, or
hail is worthy OF noLice.
james Longstrcct. the only surviv-
ing eX-licutenant-goncr Of the Con-