The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-09-09

Famine Staring the People of the Emerald
Isle in the Face.
The Potato Crop Destroyed, In
struction of Oats, the Next
Most Essential Crop to an irish
Farmer.
Farmer.

FARMER.
LONDON, Sept. S.-A panic is
spreading throughout Ireland over the
terrible prospect of the apparently
complete failure of the harvest. Re
ports from 40 parish priests from the
Counties Glare, Cork, Kerry. Limerick,
Tipperary, Antrim, Armagh, Cayan,
Derry, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh,
Monaghan and Tyrone all tell the same
piteous story of ruined crops, impend-
ing restitution and famine Blight has
everywhere wholly or. mainly destroyed
potatoes, while oats, which is the next
essential crop to an Irish farmer have
been battered down by incessant rains
and practically destroyed.
From Connemara, County Galway,
comes this heart-rending tale:
The late long run of harsh weather
leaves scarcely a vestige of hope for
the poor Connemara cotters. The
three principal crops raised in this To-
cality-hay, oats and potatoes-are vir-
tualIy ruined, the latter to an alarming
extent. 1t is common observation
around Clifton that it is full days
work for man to dig one meal of po-
tatoes for his family, and even then
they can scarcely be eaten.''
From Mallow, County Cork, situated
in the rib streaky of land known as
Golden Vein, the report is:
The oat crop, which is the main de-
pendence Of a vast majority of the
farmers, is entirely unfit for marketing
purposes. Acres are seen spread out
in sheaf, and cannot be bound or
stacked. The crop is now reduced to a
condition that is fit only for the ma
nure heap The potato crop is counted
altogether a failure
A dispatch from Westmeath says:
'Incessant rains for the past month
have completely destroyed crops of
every description. What were a month
ago smiling, cheerful looking fields are
to-day blighted and ruined. The potato
crop is bad even to rottenness. Oats
and kindred crops are in such a
Wretched way that no yield can be ex-
pected from them"
From Marlborough, Queens County,
a correspondent says: In this county
there is general unanimity of opinion
that since the famine year of 1917 the
prospect for the agricultural people was
ton does not refer to any particular
part, but to every district in the coun-
ty. The crop that has suffered most
is the potato crop. of which there will
be practically none. Next to pota-
toes, oats are in a very bad condition.
A correspondent at Bawlleygawl
Tyrone. says: The ground where the
potatoes have been planted in drills re-
sembles a bit of barren waste that had
been lying over for some time with the
intention of being plowed in the aut-
umn. Flax is almost an unknown
quantity. During the week enormous
floods have been sweeping the country.
Tons Of hay have been carried away
by inundation."
A Castelar, telegram says: TOR
rents of rain prevailed here during the
past three days almost continuously,
and the country is in a most deplorable
condition. Lands are flooded, pota-
toes and oats destroyed, hay rotting.
No efforts can be made to save sew
eral crops from destruction, owing TO
the deluge of rain day after day The
farmers are ruined. Blight is making
rapid inroads on the potato crop in
consequence of fncessant heavy rains.
Reports from all quarters confirm the
belief that a famine will result this
winter"
A Waterford special says: 1T is no
exaggeration to say that prospects for
harvest We're hardly ever darker or
sadder than at present in several parts
of the country. Corn, now a month
old, is still unstacked, on account Of
been marketed yet, and buyers expect
great difficulty in getting oats fit for
feeding purposes From all parts
come bad accounts of the potato crop.
The prices of cattle have fallen
\ Belturbot, Cavan County, cores
pendent declares: I'm this district
the prospect IS gloomy in the extreme.
They hay and oat crops are rotting on
the ground. The potato crop has not
been such a failure since 1S47. The
same state of affairs exists all over the
country"
County Limerick reports: CAS- the
season draws to a close no ray Of hope
is observed that would dispel the
gloomy anticipations INDUCED in some
time ago in regard to the ultimate fail
ure of the crops in general. From all
sides the most alarming intelligence
comes concerning the potato crop. The
yield in most places, when compared
with last year. will not arrive at one
fourth. The hay crop is in very bad
condition, vergfng in most cases on ir-
reparable loss from the continuous
downpour of rain. The outlook for ev-
cry article of agriculture is of the
worst descrintiou -
A Roscommon correspondent says:
1.-THE coming winter promises to be one
of famine. Every thing is gone"
Complaint IS heard from the most
distressed districts of the country that
landlords are pressing for their rents
to secure whatever little money the
tenants may have in savings banks,
knowing that nothing will be left be-
fore the winter is half through.
The weather shows no signs Of i'm
proving. Rains continue and the tenn
perature has fallen to an exceptionally
low point for this time of year.
Austen Leigh, the principal clerk of
the committee office of the House of