The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-20
CROPS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
The Weekly Bulletin of the Department
of Agriculture.

The Weekly Bulletin of the Department
ofAgriculture.
COLUMBIA, S. c., May 19, 1896
This bulletin covers the weather and
crop conditions for the week ending
Saturday, May 16, and in its prepara
tion were used reports from one OF
more correspondents in each county
of the State.
| WEATHER.
The temperature during the week
under review averaged about 8 de.
grees per day higher than the normal,
with maxima in the nineties each day,
at few places reaching to and above
100 degrees, except in the extreme
Western portions where it was slight,
ly cooler. The heat was tempered
during the latter portion of the week
by partly cloudy weather in the after
moons, which had, however, but little
effect in reducing temperature, and
the nights were hottest at the close of
the week.
The average mean temperature for
the State, during the entire week, was
79 degrees, ranging from 70 at Green
vile to 81 at McColl, Marlboro coun.
ty. The normal for the same period
is approximately II degrees.
The highest temperatures reported
were 104 at Gillisonville, 102 at Shaw's
Forks, 100 at Blackville and Green
wood on the 18th; 101 at Gillisonville
and 100 at Blackville on the 18th; the
lowest reported was 81 at Batesburg
on the 10th and 18th.
The rainfall during the week was
very light and scattered, and of the
A places keeping rainfall records the
following places only reported any
rain for the week: Blackville, 0.30;
Trenton, "T"; Kingstree, OH; Little
Mountain. "T"; Poverty Hill. O.O5:
Hagood, O.35; Statesburg, OH. The
normal amount for the same period is
approximately 0.90 inch.
The drought has become a serious
menace to crops over large portions Of
the State. The deficiency in rainfall
has been accumulating since Septem
ber 1st, 1895, and since then only one
month, February, 1896, gaue more
than the usual amount of rain. The
ordinary or normal amount of rain
from September 1st to date is 31.22
inches. The amount that fell is 81. SO
inches. This shows that no reserve
supply of water was stored in the sub
soil. Comparing the rainfall since the
beginning of the crop season-March
1st-with the normal for the same pc
riod the deficiency is more marked.
The normal rainfall, for the entire
State, from March 1st to date is 9.17
inches, the average actual rainfall
has been but 5. 90 inches; but this 500
inches was very unevenly distributed
leaving many localities with but a
small percentage of the usual amount,
instancing Charleston where the def
cheney is 6.55 inches. and Columbia
with deficiency of 6.3S inches.
A correspondent in the Southeastern
section of the State writes asfollows:
''There is no further use of denying
the fact, or Withholding the truth, a
most serious drought prevails in this
section of the State" The same is true
of large section in the interior of the
State, having Richland, Fairfield and
Kershaw counties as the center of
greatest rainfall deficiency. The def
ciency in rainfall does not, by itself,
convey an adequate conception of the
dryness of the ground. Tie showers
have been fairly numerous, but so
light that the surface soil only was
wetted and that evaporated in few
hours under the influence of the ex-
treme heat that prevailed the greater
portion of the time. At times, too,
the winds were high, hot and exceed
ing dry and desicating.
Not single report was received but
that stated the urgent need of rain for
some crop or other, indicating that
droughty conditions of more or less
severity exist over the whole State.
Light hail was reported from Barn
well county on the 18th with no in
jury to crops.
The sunshine exceeded the normal,
ranging from 70 to 100 per cent. of
the possible, with most cloudiness in
Anderson county and least in the
Northeastern portions of the State,
being practically cloudless week, ex-
cept for few hours each day during
the latter portion of the week.
CROPS.
Crops are being adversely affected
by the drought. Corn and cotton,
where stanas have been attained, are
doing fairly we'll, particularly in the
Western and Northwestern counties
where there was plenty of rain during
the previous week.
Corn is reported as willing during
the day. 1t is well worked, clean and
of a healthy color generally. Some
late planting not yet up and compile
ton of planting delayed, owing to
drought. The same is reported of cot.
ton, and on red lands small cotton is
dying. Where stands are good cotton
looks fine, is growing we'll, is clean,
and of a healthy color and fair size.
Chopping out continues, and is near.
ing completion in many sections.
Grain is needing rain badly where
not yet ripe. Wheat and oats harvest
begun in the lower portions of the
State, both being short. Spring oat:
are generally failure, being too far
gone to be helped by rain should il
come soon.
Gardens are parched and vegetables
are becoming scarce and of an inferior
quality generally.
Transplanting sweet potato draws
and tobacco at standstill, but where
tobacco and draws have been trans.