The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-10-07
THE WEATHER AND CROPS
Valuable Information to Those Inter
cstcd I'm Farming Operations.

| N"'"ttpiO I'd lnOSc lntcr-
cstcd In Farming Operations.
The following is the weekly bulletin
| issued by the weather bureau in Co.
| bia rs to the condition OF the cr0ps
in this State
COLUMBIA, S. c., Sept. %, 1897.
During the greater part Of the past
week the weather was abnormally cool,
with departures from = to lG degrees
below the normal, but the last Of tho
week was much warmer with nearly
the normal temperature. The night
OF the 22-223rd was unusually cold with
MN mum temperatures under 80 over
all the State except near the coast,
where IL was between 80 and So. The
lowest reported was 40 on the 24th at
klngstrce, and the highest 95 on the
18th at Florence The weekly mean was
10 and the normal for tho same period
Is approximately I3.
The long existing and severe drought
was broken by showers early in the
week, and general heavy rain on the
Dist and 22nd. The rain was accom-
panied BY high winds over the eastern
portion Of the State. The rainfall
measurements were generally heavy,
only places having amounts Of less
than one inch, 10 had from one to two
inches and 2G had over two inches,
with a maximum measurement of g. 25
at Oakland. The average OF all meas
urements was 80 and the normal for
| the week Is about one inch.
The severe drought was broken by
the rains OF the week, and the en,ire
/ State Is now we'll watcred, and the
| ground in fine condition for p,owipp
and sowing fall oats, rye and barley,
which work has actively bcgup. Puas,
turnlps, late potatoes and pastures
were greatly ben, fitted by tho rain,
ana also ia!i vegetables, gardens and
truck, but IL came too la te to materially
| benefit corn or cotton, except very late
fields Of the former and young imma-
turc bolls Of the latter OF which thcre
are comparatively few
Cotton reports arc fcaturnlnSs for the
week, except that much open cotton
| was blown to the ground on the 2lst
and 22i, and beat into the dirt and
stained by the heavy rains. Co:ton
picking was delayed from one to three
days by the unfavorablc weather and
the heretofore rapid opening of i'm
mature bolls was largely Checked.
Otherwise the rain was Of no benefit to
cotton, which IS now so far advanced
as to be beyond liability Of injury by
irost, there being practically no "top
CROP Cotton in many places Is nearly
all open and over half of the crop has
been gathered. The yield is reported
TO be smaller than expected and gen
orally disappointing.
There are many sections which will
no doubt make full crop, but such
reports are outnumbcred, two to one,
by reports OF yields falling below an
average. Sea island cotton was not in
jurcd by the storm, on the contrary
the rain will materially help the top
crop OF which there is u fair promise.
Corn is being gathered and the crop
Is generally reported to be q full one
and in places an extra fine one. In the
extreme northwestern counties whore
corn was planted late, fodder is still
being pulled, but even there the ears
are mhtured and no longer subject to
weather conditions.
Rice harvest was somewhat dclaycd
early in the week, but was resumed
during the latter portion and is now
practically completed. There are q
few reports indicating poor yields OF
rice, but generally this crop is q full
average one or better, and has been
secured in excellent condition, it haV-
ing been not vt all damaged by the
storm. Threshing is we'll under way.
Peas were lpcd by the rain and are
generally frniting we'll, with cxccp-
tions over limited areas where peas
are complete failures.
Sweet potatoes show Improvement
since the rain and look more promis-
ing.
In the truck raising districts, plowing
and planting winter vegetables is now
under way, with the ground In excel
tent condition for this work
Pastures which were parchcd and
brown have started new growth.
Stock water is again plentiful.
Crops having completed their
growth, except few comparatively
unimportant ones, the issue OF these
bulletins will end for the season of
| 1897, with this number. Correspon-
dents will, therefore, please discon.
tinuc thcir wccly reports.
j. w. BAUER, Director.