The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-09-29
Weekly Crop Bulletin.
CoLuMB1A, sc Sept. %, 1897
TEMPERATURE


week the weather vas abnormally cool,
With departures from 2 to 16 degrees
below the normal, but the last Of the
week was much warmer with nearly the
oornal temperature. The night of the
%. .23rd was unusually cold with mioi-
mum temperatures under 50 over all
the State except near the coast. where
it vas between so and IS. The lowest
reported vas 40 on the 24th at King
stree, and the highest 50 on 'he 18th at
Florence. The weekly mean was %
and the normal for the same period is
approximately 73.
RAINFALL
The loog existing and severe
drought vas broken BY showers
early in the week. aud general heavy
rain on the 21st aud 22nd. The
rain was accompanied oy nigh
Winds over the eastern portion of the
State. The rainfall measurements
we're generally heavy, only 5 places
having amouats Of less than one inch,
10 had from one to two inches and 26
had over two inches, with maximum
messarment of 6 % at O Oaklaud. The
average Of ali measurements was z o0
and the normal for the week is about
one inoh.
GENERAL STATEMENT.
Tie severe drought was broken by
the rains of the week, and the entire
state is now veil vatered, and the
ground .in foe condition for blowing
aud sowing fall oata, rye and barley.
which work has actively begun. Peas,
turnips, late potatoes and pastures were
greatly benefited by the raio, and also
fail vegetables. gardens and truck. bat
it came too late to materially beneit
corn or cotton, except very late fields
of the former and young immature
bolls Of the latter Of which there are
comparatively few.
CROPS.
Cotton rerort are featnreless for the
week, exseps that much open cotton
was blown to the ground on the 2lst
and 22d. aud beat into the dirt and
stained BY the heavy rains. Cotton
picking was delayed from Que TO three
DAYS by the unfsvorabie weather AID
the heretofore rapid opening of im-
mature bolls as largely checked
Otherwise toe rain was of no benefit TO
cotton, which is now SO far advanced
as to be bsyond liability of injory by
frost. there being practically on ,"sop
crop" Cotton in many places is near-
ly sll open and over half of the crop
has been gathered. The yield is re-
ported to be smaller than expected aud
general disappointing.
There are many sections which will
no doubt make a full crop but sncn re-
ports are oa,numbered, two to ooe. BY
reports of yields falling below an aver
age. Sea Island cotton was not IN
jared oy the storm, on the contrary the
rain will materially help she ''tcp crop"
Of wbicn there is fair promise.
Cora is being gathered and the crop
is generally reported to be full one
aud IL places an extra 6Ds oue. In
;ne extreme D3r.haesiern coubties
where corb vas piac,ee late, fodder Is
still being pulsed bat even there the
ears are uairred aud 90 longer sSb]scs
10 weather conditions.
Rice harvest was somewhat de-
layed early in the week but was re-
suned during the latter portion and
is now practically completed There
are few reports indicating poor yields
Of rice. bat generally this crop is a
fnl! average one or better, and has
been secured in excellent condition, i:
having been not at all damaged by
tie storm. Thfcshing is we'll uuder-
way
Peas we're helped by the rain and
are generally fruiting we'll, with e1-
cepsiors over limited areas where
peas are complete failures.
Sweeypotatoss show Improvement
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