The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-06
BETTER THAN EXPECTED.
THE WEEKLY CROP BULLETIN Is
oUITEENcoURAGING.


of the weather bureau yesterday is
sued the following weekly bulletin ol
the condition of the weather and the
crops in the State:
This bulletin covers the weather and
crop conditions for the week ending
Saturday, April 25th, and in its prep
aration were used reports from one OF
more correspondents in each county OF
the State.
WEATHER.
Hot weather continued the entire
week, but with gradual tendency to.
wards lower temperature. There was
more cloudiness, also, that tended to
make the heat more tolerable than
during the previous week. The excess
in temperature averaged 10 degrees
per day over the normal, ranging
from on the coast to 10 in the west
ern portions of the State. The heat
was very evenly distributed; 80 sta.
tions reporting mean temperature, did
not differ more than 8 degrees in their
mean for the week.
The mean temperature for the week,
deduced from 80 stations, was rs de-.
grees, and the normal for the same
period is approximately IS degrees.
A maximum temperature of SO was
recorded at Gillisonville on the 2Oth,
Eand the weeks minimum of 81 was
recorded at Greenville on the 21st,
and at Society Hill on the 25th.
The dry weather was greatly reliev-
ed in places by rains that covered the
entire State during the afternoon and
night of Friday, the oath, with the
exception of parts of Fairfield county,
where no rain fell.
The north central counties, includ-
ing Richland, Fairfield, Union, New
berry, York, Lancaster and Sumter,
had least rain with amounts in no
place exceeding 0.5O of an inch and
generally less than OBS of an inch; in
the extreme western counties the rain
was somewhat heavier. and also in
the Savannah valley, while in the
eastern portions of the State the rain
fall averaged from 0.50 of an inch to
1. 80 inches.
The average of 40 rainfall measure
ments for the week was 0.51, and the
normal for the same period is approx
imately 0.82.
More rain is needed and no crop
has had enough.
The beneficial effects of the rain
were increased by the generally clou-
dy weather during the latter portion
of the week. The first of the week
was almost cloudless. The sunshine
averaged about "a per cent. of the pos
sible.
The thunder storms of Friday eve.
ming (24th) were accompanied in many
places by vivid lightning and high
winds, the latter having reached al
most tornado force in Aiken county,
with considerable damage to fencing,
forests and to buildings, but crops
were too small to have suffered in
jury. High winds were quite general
on that day, but the resulting damage,
if any was slight.
CROPS.
There is little change to record in
the general condition of crops, except
where the rainfall was most copious;
all vegetation was freshened and vi
talized, but over the greater portion
of the State the need of rain has not
been materially lessened by the
amounts that fell, which in many
places gave only surface wetting. The
northeastern counties Jared best in the
matter of rainfall, and there all crops
and vegetation were looking well at
the close of the week.
Ravages of insects are this week re-
ported from various portions of the
State: Colorado beetles in York, Char.
lesion and Beaufort counties; a small
beetle has attacked tobacco plants, cut
worms are destructive in the fields and
gardens in Lexington county, and
other reports of dess specific nature in
dictate the prevalence of insect pests
over large portion of the State.
The majority of correspondents re.
port corn in fine condition, with good
stands, healthy color and growing off
we'll, in view of the dry weather. Bot
tom lands are yet to plant largely, but
more rain is needed to soften the
ground before it can be prepared.
Early planted corn is IN some instances
receiving its second working. Later
planting coming up slowly but salts
factorily. The corn crop at this time
is in very fine, promising condition
over the entire State.
Cotton planting has progressed fair
ly we'll, having been resumed since
the rains, and is nearly finished; diff
erent sections report from 10 to IS per
cent. yet to plant. That of earliest
planting is up to pretty good stands,
but hardly satisfactory ones, while
later planting is coming up very slow
|ly, but will be helped by the rains
where heavy enough. The cotton
crop has generally made satisfactory
advance over the previous week, and
has, and is, receiving its first plow-
ing.
Some tobacco has been transplanted
in the northeastern counties where the
rains made the ground wet enough,
but more and heavy rains are needed
to make transplanting safe, and SO
this work was not pushed during the
week. Reports from Kershaw county
state that many beds failed, and that
in consequence of the scarcity OF
plants, lands that were fertilized and
prepared for tobacco will be planted
to other crops, principally cotton.
Generally tobacco plants are locking
fine.
Wheat is heading low but retains a
good color. Fall oats are heading
very low; were greatly helped by the
h,,t ,,anl y,,0,.a roir SnrI O.