The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-08
The Drought Euded.

1t is very rare that rain has been more
eagerly wished for than it was on June /,
1895. Though we have had numerous
Nays in the past twenty-five years when
the rainfall was less than il was during
the month just passed, il has never come
under our obligation in that
length Of time when IN, {ae
suffering more than was the case on the
last day of May 1895. Though March was
reasonably moist from a fan OF three
inches April was almost destitute Of RAIN
fail. A shower of 71-l00 on the first and
then no further rain until My 40, when
two showers aggregating 2l6 inenes IeH.
Again on the 2lst a shower OF 65-lO oc-
CURED. Owing 10 the unusually nlgh
temperature that prevailed this moisture
was very speedily evaporated, so that
by the Slst there was no -percepUble
moisture in the surface soil. For several
inches below the seed cuts Of irish po-
tatOes the soil was as dry as an ASH
heap. Garden vegetables, including corn
lust beginning to tassel, evinced the want
Of moisture by willing as early as 3
The drought proved disastrous to Irish
potatoes especially reducing the yield to
% or 80 per cent. of a normal crop. Toma-
toes suffered less than any other crop.
Here and there a plant gave indications
of blight as the result of too little mols-
ture, but the larger number OF plants Kept
up a normal growth to the very END Of
the drought. 1t may be that the SEEDS OF
disease are implanted in them and much
wet weather now may cause the fruit to
rot extensively.
by disastrous storm as has generally
been the case in other sections. The sky
was very threatening preceding ana dur-
ing the dOWnpOur, but the wind was not
severe and the rain was comparatively
gentle aggregating only l.3s inches in the
course of an hour or so. This was suHtl-
cient to ct the soil down to the very
lowest roots of all cultivated plants. That
is, II did so where the soil was in a
proper loosened condition from the nee
essary cultivation. The day following
The rain was mostly cloudy and thirty
hours after the first rain gentle DOWN
pour, more like January rain than
The rainfall since the first Of January
is recorded as follows at Milledgevlile:
January 1884; February, 672; March. 800;
April, n; May, asia total for the i've
We rs should live to learn and we are
glad to acknowledge that we learned
Something during the past drought and
that was the value of the roller as a Gull
tiVating implement. Our garden crops
will never again suffer anything ike as
much from drought as they have done IN
ask? Well, our chief cultivating imple-
ment after April /, hereafter VIII be Pc. a
harrow with roller, attachment AFTER
during a period of drought a great econ
omy of moisture is secured by pressing
the stirred dry soil firmly together again.
This can be most economically done by
having a solid iron roller, or inches IN
diameter, attached to the harrow frame
The usual distance beteen rows =, is
three feet. Let the harrow and roller
have a width of thirty or thirty-two
inches. This implies perfectly level cul-
ture. The trucker that once tries such
an implement on dry sandy soil and uses
il to its full need in late spring ana sum
mer IS certain to adopt II as the most val
liable implement for tiding mis- crops over
a drought that he can possibly make use