The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-07-29
Weekly Crop Bulletin.
CoLuMBIA, S. c July %, 1896

This bulletin covers the weather
and crop conditions for the week
ending Saturday. July %, and IN its
preparation were used reports from
one or more correspondents ia each
county of the State.
WEATHER
The FIRST of the week the tempera-
ture was considerably below tae nor
= mai with steady rise throughout the
week. The condition of the asr was
humid and sultry, and the nights
very warm. The maximum tempera-
ture was 100 at Beaufort, Allendale
>and Gillisonville on the 24th and
25th; the minimum, 81, at Liberty
and Loopers OH the 10th. The mean
temperature for the week was 80.
and the approximate normal is 81.
There were scattered showers, gen.
orally light, over the entire State, as
SO of the rainfall stations reported
some rain during the week, the aver
age amount for the State having been
0.47 and the normal for the same Pc
riod is approximately 1.4l. The fol-
lowing places reported heavy rains;
Augusta, Ga 1.75; Florence, 1.79;
Kingssree, 100; Yemassee, 2.2o;
Loopers, l.50; Lonshore, l go; Ches-
terfeld, / 80; bingham, 1.S4 +; Liber-
ty, 90; Anderson. 2-Oe; Darlington,
800; Columbia, 2.47; Hagood, 1.3O.
Twenty other places reported
amounts ranging from "Trace" to
0.96 of an inch.
The PERCENTAGE of sunshine for the
y State was 81 per cent. of the pos.
sible which was nearly normal, but
in portions of the State there was
very little sunshine while in the
northeastern counties there was al
most an entire absence of clouds
The week was favorable one for
all crops and for some, notably cot
ton, exactly the weather needed for
its best development.
Corn fired in few localities under
The influence of the hot sun on wet
ground, and in such places fodder
pulling, was hurried. Saving fodder
is general in the eastern portion of
the State and will begun elsewhere.
Late corn looks very promising over
the entire State
Reports on cotton indicate a rapid
development of the plant, and from
number of places come reports of
growth having stopped, but bloom
ing and fruiting freely. Rust and
shedding are reported from nine
counties, ascribed to the wet condi-
ton of the soil. In the western
counties an excessive growth of weed
is reported, aud at the same time the
cropis characterized as Gas fine crop
as ever known The identical
words being used by correspondents
from four counties. Sea Island cot
ton made market improvement.
Tobacco curing we'll under way.
but not curing well. In Florence the
crops IS doing well, elsewhere it is
not so good.
Rice continues to grow we'll, and
much of it is heading. AS far as
known no damage resulted from the
high water on the Santee, Cooper,
Edisto or other rivers In the main
rice region.
Peas, turhips. forage crops and
sweet potatoes are doing we'll, except
that the latter are running very much
to vine.
FINAL REPORT ON FRUIT.
Correspondents report fruit gener-
ally to have been more or less a fail
ure.
Peaches bloomed freely and the
young fruit set well, except for some
varieties that were injured by frost
in March, but the hot weather of May
caused the young peaches to drop
freely, which continued to maturity
Peaches also suffered from insect