The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-08
WEATHER AND CROPS.
THE CONDITIONS OF THE STATES
FARMING ! INTERESTS.
Tho General OutIook-Weekly Bulletin
OF tho Weather Bureau Issued Last Week
nv Director Bauer,

by Director Bauer.
The following weekly statement oi
the crop and weather conditions for
this section has been served by Direct
or Bauer:
TEMPERATURE.
The first OF the week was below the
normal temperature and the latter
part decidedly in excess. Day. tenn
peratures were high with maximum
of 1O1 on the 2Sth at Liberty. During
the early portion of the week the
nights were cool with a minimum
temperature of 81 on the 23d, oath and
25th at Walhalla.
The weekly mean temperature OF
46 reporting stations was 76, while the
normal for the same period is about n.
There was but little rain during the
week and was continued to light local
showers over the extreme western,
northwestern, northern and southeast
ern counties on the 23d, oath and 25th.
The central counties were without
rain the entire week. With the eX-
ception of the little rainfall just noted,
the measurements reported this week
refer to the rain of the 21st, which
fell too late to be included in last
weeks reports and should be credlted
to the previous weeks rainfall.
Twenty-one measurements Of less than
an inch were received, 10 OF from 1 TO
Q inches, and four of over 3 inches,
with a maximum fall of 4. so at White
Hall. The normal for the week is
approximately 1.4S, and the average
of all measurements is LOO.
Light hail accompanied rain storm
in Edgefeld over Tolbert and adjoln-
ing townships on the 90, doing consid-
erable injury to crops. A severe hail
storm occurred about seven miles
from Charleston on the evening OF
the 29th, with hail-stohes ranging IN
size from peas to chesnuts, and dam
agin corn seriously over a limited
area.
There were q few local high
winds, which, however, did no injury.
The sunshine was largely in excess
of the normal and ranged from 90 to
100 per cent. of the possible, with an
average per cent. of 50 for the State.
GENERAL REMARKS.
The weeks weather was very favor
able for harvesting rice, making hay,
pulling fodder, digging potatoes,
picking cotton and also favorable for
growing crops generally. Worms
and caterpillars have almost entirely
disappeared and are confined to limit
ed areas in few counties only. Sea-
sonable farm work advanced rapidly
during the week.
The reports on cotton are with few
exceptions unfavorable to the crop
and note deterioration in condition in
every county except York, Spartan
burg. Oconee and portions OF Marion.
Chester, Sumter. Laurens, Anderson,
Abbeville and Greenwood, where on
heavy soils the plant continues to
grow and hold the fruit it puts on.
Over the remainder of the State gen:
orally, there is excessive shedding OF
squares and young bolls, and on light
sandy soils the plant is apparently
dying rapidly and is done fruiting.
Black rust is prevalent, and in places
entire fields are affected. Worms also
did some damage, especially in Ker-
shaw.
The prospects for a top crop are
poor, although over considerable
areas, as already noted, top crop is
making.
Cotton opened rapidly during the
week and central counties picking,
ginning and marketing the crop has
fairly begun and will become general
over the State during the week. A
few correspondents stated that the
lint Is of a high grade and few re-
ported some damage to open cotton by
the rains of the previous week.
Sea island cotton is not materially
injured and seemingly does not share
in the general deterioration Of upland
cotton. The first bale of sea island
cotton for the season of 1897 was re-.
ceived in Charleston on the 25th of
August.
Corn is materializing rapidly and is
all about made. It's conditions and
probable yield varies greatly, both as
to early and late corn, but generally
late corn is very fine and early corn
by no means a poor crop. Worms
are damaging corn in Beaufort.
Fodder pulling was general during
the week and was favored by the
weather. This work is about COM
pleted in the most easterly counties
and well advanced elsewhere.
Much..complaint,is made of peas she'd
ding their leaves, but peas are on the
whole doing well. A heavy crop of
peavine hay is being cut.
Rice is maturing and ripening rap
idly and harvesting is well under
way. Rice on the whole is a fine
crop, except that it was damaged in
Colieton by catepillars and that up
land rice is generally not up to an
average.
Tobacco curing is finished.
Turn1p sowing still continues, and
In places good stands have been had,
while in others, notably Pickens,
some fields will have to be resown.
A heavy crop of meadow hay is be,
ing cut and curing is favored by the
weather.
Cane and sorghum grinding contin.
ues and good quality OF molasses is
being made.
Sweet potatoes seem to be doing
well, and in places early varieties are
being dug with unsatisfactory yields,
while other fields are yielding exceed
ingly we'll.
Scuppernong grapes are ripening.
Irby Curses and Threatens Tnlman.
Tho nnn,acnondant Of Tho Stata o.