The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-04-26
THE WEATHER. AND CROPS.
Valuable Information for All Who
Are Interested i'm Farming Opera

aitiaDIc 1hioEIllttlOh BOE AL ITO
ARE Interested in Farming Opera
lions.
The following is the weekly bulletin
issued by the weather bureau in
Columbia as to the condition Of the
crops in this State
COLUMBIA, SC, April 10, 1898.
The week was cool and generally n
favorable for growing crops, owing to
the prevailing low night temperatures.
Light frost was observed on two morn
ings over the greater portion OF the
State and thin ice in the extreme wcs-
tern portion, but no prccoptiblo dam
age was done by the frost. The mean
temperature for the week was 81 de-
grees which is s degrees below the
normal. The weekly range Of tenn
peraturc vas between u maximum of
10 on the 18th at Blackvillc and on the
10th at Central, and u minimum Of 33
on the 18th at Walhalla. The last
two days OF the week were warm and
pleasant.
The weeks rainfall was quito evenly
distributed over the entire State and
generally light, although sufficient for
the needs OF all crops and to put the
ground into good condition for work
ing. In Laurens and portions of sur.
rounding counties teamwork was him
dercd and delayed by the wet condition
Of the soil, but elsewhere the rain did
not Interfere 0" interrupt york to- any
extent, while over the southeastern
portions the ground WAS dry and the
rain needed and proved vcry beneficial.
Eleven places, representing all Sec
tion3 OF the State, reported one inch
or more OF rain, and thirty less than
n inch. The average for the State
,vns n IT n nd tln an -, 81 N,,Nn
for the same period is 0 50 inch.
The week gave 81 per cent. Of the
possible bright sunshine, ranging from
33 TO 93 per cent. Of the possible, but
cloudincss varied greatly over the
State. The prevailing winds were
cold westerly, and from light to brisk
in force. On the l4th thunder showers
occurred at u numbcr OF places, ac-
companled by small hail, which, how
ever, did no damage. Olthe same day
II Hurry Of snow was observed in Green
Vile County.
The week wa characterized by cool,
windy weather and some rain, tic first
two conditions were unfavOrablc aud
the last favorable. Vegetation made
little growth except on the immediate
coast, and even there the nights were
too cool. Over the central and weS-
tern counties frost formed on tv o
nights which, while it did not freeze
anything, did materially check all
growth Of vegetation. However, the
week ended with good, growing
weather and 4 noticeable i'm provcmcnt
in the appearance Of field crops.
EXCEPT where interrupted by rain,
planting operations advanced rapidly
during the week, and upland corn is
about all planted in the more castcrly
counties, and from half to two-thirds
finished over the more westerly por-
tlOGs. Gen mutation has bccn slow gen
orally and stand pOOr except in Edge.
field, where excellent stands are the
rute. Corn that was cut down by frost
shows signs Of recovery, but ~ncverthe-
less much ropllnting is necessary on
that account and because OF seed
rotting in the ground, ard also on ac.
count OF The ravages OF cut worms and
birds In places early planted corn is
receiving It's first workings. 1t APP
pears that q somewhat larger creage
Will be devoted To corn this wear than
last.
While some cotton has been planted
long enough to come up it terminates
slowly, and that that was up last week
will Deed to be ~rcplantod. Planting
Of cotton has been fairly begun over
oiS "HoiS oOhISi puO III Oulh VI inc
crop will be planted between this and
the 25th, if the weather permits, as
til ground Is generally prepared for
it. Ia the more castcrly counties
planting is about threc-fourths finished,
but generally less thar half finished
over the central and western counties.
Reports vary as to the area to be
planted in cotton, but it appears ina
Il full crop will be planted and it is
highly manurcd. Sea, Island cotton is
coming up well, growing nicely, and
more being planted.
The work Of transplanting tobacco
has been begun in Kershaw, Claren-
don, Darlington, Florence, Williams
burg, and Horny counties, and will be-
come general this week. Plants are
plentiful and large. More commercial
manurcs will be used On tobacco lands
than in previous years, and the creag
Is considerably enlarged, especially in
Florence County, and probably over
the whole tobacco district.
The cool weather retarded the
growth OF rice and negatived the ad-
vantage 1T had OF ar unusually early
Planting continues in all dis
tricts.
The outlook for u heavy oats crop is
very promising, and from three local..
Iics only were reports re-
The frost of last week and
the cool weather Of this made oats look
yellow in places, but it has a good
and is stooling well. The wheat
prospects are good. Rye is heuding
and is being cut for forage in places.
The reports on the fruit prospect arc
more definite this week, but do not
change the conditions as stated in the
previous bulletin. In Oconee, Pickens,
.Greenville, ~Spartanburg, Gaffney, and
Of York and Lancaster the
bulk OF the peaches and plums are
Killed, but here are localities whore q
tair crop is left on the trees In the
Tier OF counties the bulk Of the fruit is
safe, but there are many localities
where IL is almost entirely destroyed F;
till further eastward it was only In
exceptional cases hat fruit was dam
aged. Figs may be an exception to
hat statement. but it cannot yet be
determined. The peach crop is prac-
ically safe apples, pears, grapes, and
Wild berries were unframed. |
In the Florence truck district about I
me third OF the carly vegetables were /
destroyed by the frost and some fields I
re borg plowed up. Large shipments ,
s~easonablc vegetables continue from r
Charleston, and more northerly =
1iSfrinta ,