The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-08
CROPS ESCAPE THE COLD.
No Damage SO Far, But Frost Feared
This Morning.

Although the temperature fell very low
carly yesterday morning there was no
damage from frost. The wind through
out the night and the clouds prevented it.
Truck farmers were agreeably surprised
that there had been no frost. as it had
been confidently expected. 1t being feared
that the clouds and the high wind would
not continue. Although the air was rath-
er chilly for the plants II was not sufi-
GENTLY so to damage them. and they will
remain uuinjured If frost does not form
this morning and there is no subsequent
freeze to cut them off.
Truckers in the vicinity of Savannah
were busy during The day covering the
vegetables that are most easily damaged
by cold. This was on account of the pre-
diction Of the weather bureau for frost
in Virginia. North and South Carolina,
Eastern Alabama and Georgia.
Between twenty-five or thirty
planters called at the Office
OF the weather bureau during
the day to ascertain the conditions from
Observer Sherier A large number kept
the telephone going to find out just what
they might expect in the way of cold. The
information was not at all encouraging,
and most of them FASTENED to their places
TO see about protection for the tender veg
etables.
At o'clock this morning the prospects
for frost did not appear very alarming
and the temperature at that hour was a
80 degrees. A fall of four OF five degrees
was necessary to produce frost and only
the event could show whether mercury
would go that low. Observer Sherier was
rather confident that there would be frost.
and he so notified those who inquired. 1'ne
conditions were favorable for it, and that
he was confident the predictions of the
bureau would be borne out and that there
would be frost, heavy or light.
Yesterday morning was chilly and raw
and il then looked as if any one might
predict frost, with considerable certainty
of the prediction being verified AS the
DAY wore on, however the temperature
arose and at o'clock in the afternoon
the mercury registered IS degrees. This
was warm enough to induce many of the
planters TO suspect that it would not get
frosty during The night, but the more *
perienced were not ready to pit their opin-
ion against that Of the weather bureau.
They feel that, since the bureau is in
tended 10 give out such warnings. those
VINO conduct il should know what they
are talking about, and. acting upon that
principle they gor down 10 work.
Projecting plants against frost is a diff
Hcult matter when they are well advanced.
Most of the vegetables have progressed
WeH despite the dry weather. and they
were high enough to make it Troublesome
10 cover them. There was great danger
OF bruising them in a way that would be
as hurttul as slight touch of frost. anc
this also made the operation a delicate
one.
Throwing dirt to the young plants with
a plow IS the easiest method of COVERING
them when they are not too large, and
TINS Is often done. Some of the farmers
adopted this means for the preservation
or beans and potatoes that, some of the
rest thought, were too high to be treated
IN such a way Beans were covered in
many instances with plows, but the major
Jay OF The planters took no measures to
prevent the frost damaging beans and DO
tatoes.
Most of them spent their energies for
the preservation of their tenderest plants.
Among these are cucumbers, cantaIoupes
and other vines, which, being largely com
posed of water, are easily injured by frost.
Paper with dirt thrown about it, pots
cans, strawberry baskets butter plats
and anything that would serve as shell
ter were used for all these, and it is safe
to say that most of the truckers. even
If there is frost, will not suffer by the
loss of the plants that were covered