The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-17
RAINS DOING MUCH DAMAGE.
COTTON. RICE AND NAVAL STORES
MEN BEING INJURED.

| some Rice Planters Ready to Cut the
Early CrOp-Fears of Damage by n
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Reported to
he Rushing and shedding-Naval
stores Production Being Cut Down
by the Weather-An Hoping for
sunshiny Days Soon.
Considerable apprehension exists among
the rice men about the weather conditions.
! The rainy spell of the last few days, it
Is feared, will terminate in a storm, which
may do their crops some damage. Out
side of that they have some early rice
which IS about ready 10 cut and they
would like some fair weather In which to
harvest It. Rain up to this time has been
all right, but from now on they would pre-
fer for the clouds to separate and let a
little sunshine in on the fields.
one or two planters expected to start
cutting on Monday, but the weather pre-
vented. While no damage will be done if
the rain should continue a day or two lon
ger and stop without a northeast gale
there Is an apprehension that such good
luck may not be In store. 1t is too soon
yet to tell whether there will be storm
or not. 1t is early in the season for one
but there were suspicious signs develop
ing off the coast of Yucatan yesterday
which may develop into something serious
A wind storm now would beat the heads
Of grain down under water and soak them
Thoroughly, and the hot sun coming on af-
terWard might injure the quality.
Cotton men are more worried over the
rains than the rice men. Reports from a
considerable section Of The Savannah ter
rltory are TO the effect that the crop is
beginning to rust and shed, and that if
there is not an early cessation of the daily
precipitatons of the past three weeks
the quality and quantity of the crop will
be materially affected. A planter from
near Madison, Fla, who was In the city
yesterday on his way North, reported to
his factors that the sea island cotton
Whereabouts was beginning to show the
effect of the too frequent rains. The same
story came from other points, and in all
directions in the country near to SaVan-
nah.
The continued rains are probably almost
local in their character so far as the cot
ton crop is concerned. That Is, they are
not affecting the crop as a whole serious
ly. That such is the case is evidenced by
the downward course of the market in the
past few days. The New York dealers
keep thoroughly posted on the condition
of the crop throughout the whole belt, and
if there were any prospects of It's being
cut down or its quality being largely i'm
paired there would have been a reverse
effect on prices. But Savannah bids fair
to be hurt if the rains do not let up, and
that Is of more direct interest here than
the fact that In the rest of the belt con-
ditions may be good
The rains are also having their effect on
the production Of naval stores. The sap
will not flow this kind of weather and
the production of spirits is being consid-
erably limited as a result. Not only Is
the supply for the present and the near
future being affected, but the scrape Is
being cut down and the production of
both spirits and rosin later on reduced.
Reports are to the effect that on a large
number of farms the scrape is very light.