The herald., 1897-09-09
i BLIGHT sPoILs POTATOES
WHILE THE WET WEATHER HAS
Ru1NED GRAIN
~ Distress Increases the Non-R Resi-
dent Landlord Becomes More
Importunate
.ssociated Press Special wire.

A panic Is spreading throughout Ire
apparently complete failure Of the har
vest. Reports from 10 parish priest!
from Counties Clare, Cork. Kerry. Lin
erick. Tipperary, Antrim, Armagh, Ca
ven. Derry, Donegal. Down, Fermanagh
Monaghan and Tyrone, all tell the same
piteous story of ruined crops, impend-
ing destitution and famine. Blight has
everywhere wholly or mainly destroyed
potatoes, while oats, which is the next
most 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 large run of harsh weather
leaves scarcely a vestige of hope to the
poor Connemara cotters. The three
principal crops raised in this locality
hay, oats and potatoes-are virtually
ruined, the latter to an alarming extent
1t Is common observation around
Clifton that IL is full days work for
a man to dig one meal of potatoes for
his family. and even then they can
6carcely De eaten
From Mallcw, County Cork, situated
in rich streak known as the Golden
Vein," the report is: THE oat crop,
which is the main dependence of vast
majority Of the farmers, is entirely unfit
for marketing purposes. Acres are still
seen spread out In sheaf and cannot be
bound or stacked. The crop is now re-
duced to condition that it is only fit for
the manure heap. The potato crop is
courted altogether failure"
A dispatch from Westmead says:
"Incessan. rains for the past month
have completely destroyed crops of ev-
eay description. What were a month
ago smiling, cheerful-looking fields are
today blighted and ruined. The potato
crops are in such a wretched way that
no yield can be expected from them"
From Maryborough, Queens county,
Z correspondent says:
I'm this county there Is general una
nfmity of opinion that since the famine
year of ~ the prospects for the agricul-
tural people were never so bad az today.
Nor does this description apply to any
particular part, but to every portion Of
the county. The crop which suffered
most is the potato crop, of which there
is practically nothing left. Oats are in
q very bad condition also.'
A correspondent at Bawlleygawley,
Tyrone, says:
1.-THE ground where the potatoes have
been planted in drills resembles bit of
barren waste that had been lying over
for some time, with the intention of be-
ing p,owed in the autumn. Flax is al
pl-p ri +
week enormous floods have been sweep
ing the country. Tons of hay have been
carried away by inundations."
A Castle Bar telegram says:
Torrents of rain prevailed here dur
ing the past three days almost continu-
ously. and the country is in a most de-
plorable con6ition. Lands are flooded,
potatoes and oats destroyed, hay rot
ting. No efforts can be made to save the
several crops from destruction. The
farmers are ruined. Blight is making
rapid inroads upon the potato crop, ow-
ing to incessant heavy rains. Reports
from all quarters confirm the belief
that famine will result this winter"
A Waterford special says:
ut is no exaggeration to say that
prospects for harvest were hardly ever
darker or sadder than at present in sew
eral parts of the country. Corn, now
month old, is still unstacked, on account
Of the rain. Very little new grain has
been marketed yet, and buyers expect
great difficulty in getting oats fit for
breading purposes. From all parts
come bad accounts Of the potato crop
The prices of cattle have fallen"
A Belturbot, Cavan county, correspon-
dent says:
I'm this district the prospect is gloomy
in the extreme. The hay and oats crops
are rotting on the ground. The potato
crop has not been such a failure since
Al. The same state OF things exists all
over the county,
County Limerick reports: "As the sea-
son draws to close no ray of hope is
observed that would dispel the gloomy
anticipation INDUCED in some time ago
In regard to the ultimate failure of the
crops in general. From all sides the
most alarming intelligence comes re-
garding the potato crop. The yield in
most places, when compared with that
Of last year, will not arrive at one
fourth. The hay crop Is in very bad
condition, verging in most cases on ir-
reparable loss from the continuous
downpour of rain. The outlook for every
article Of agriculture is of the worst
description
Roscommon correspondent says:
THE coming winter promises to be one
Of a famine. Everything is gone"
Complaint is heard from the most dis
treesed districts Of the country that the
landlords are pressing for their rents, to
secure whatever little money the ten
ants may have in savings banks. know
Ing that nothing will be left before the
winter is half through The weather
shows no signs of improvement. Rains
continue and the temperature has fallen
to an exceptionally low point for this
time of year.
A RUSSIAN CRISIS
ODESSA, Sept. S.--The crisis in the
grain trade in southern Russia has been
enhanced by the influx Of half score OF
Hungarian commissioners who are pur-
chasing wheat at any price. A majority
or the great grain exporters are in very
precarious position and a large number
of smaller Arms have already collapsed.
One large foreign export firm alone has
lost 100000 roubles on the fulfillment
Of contracts made by 1t in the expecta-
fton that there would be a middling crop.
With the exception Of barley, Ill the ce-
roe1e ~ - light = they are scant. while