The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-05-11
i. S. DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE.
Climate and Crop Bulletin of
the Weather Bureau, South
Carolina Section.
For the Week Ending Monday
May 8, 1898.

For the Week Ending Monday
May 8. 1898.
COLUMBIA. S G., May 10.
The warmest weather of ths current
season occnrred during the week With
q msxiuum seuperature Of SO on the
4sh q, Gillisonvilie. while over the
State generally the temperature rose
above 90 on the Sd, 4:h.. 5tb. with cor
respondiogly high night temperatures,
but during the afternoon aud night OF
the 6:h the temperature fell rapidly
reaching a minimum of 80 on the
morning Of the 7th at Spartanborg.
The rest Of Che week remained cool
The average temperature deduced
from A weekly means was 10. and
the normal for the sam period is ap.
proxima.ely 50. Light frost vas
noted on the morning Of the ith and
9Th at various place in the northwestern
coantiee, bat in no Instance was the
frost heavy enough to destroy vegesa-
ton.
The rainfall for the week was cop-
fined to the 9th, on vhich date thur
der showers occurred over the entire
State, having been heaviest to the
northward of the Santee river. The
rainfall was light, and in many places
there vas Done, over the northern and
western counties and in the southeast
sro group Of counties. 10 the latter
section the ground is very dry and rain
would prove beneficial. while over the
upper counties rain is needed to soften
the surface. az the grouod is badly
crusted, making it difficult for speout-
ing piaots to come up. Forty.four
places reported rainfall measurements
of which 81 we're less than half an
inch aud bat three Of more then one
iach. The average Of all measure
IN enss was G az and the normal for the
same period is about OTIS incb.
There was a large percentage Of
bright suushine averaging SO per cent.
Of the possible. and on two days only
did any cloudiness prevail.
High wiods, astaioing to almost
tornado force 10 Oraogeburg, Flor
eoce, Clarendon. Lexington aud
Horny counties. prevailed on the 9Th,
doing considerable iojary to frul'
trees, fences, aud ia some instances
to baildings, and the cold, high wiuds
| on the following days bad q damag-
ing effect on cotton, corn end to.
bacco.
The first portion Of the week with
| its high temperature, light wiods aud
bright Sunshine, was extremely favor,
able to growth aDd made Loticeabie
improvement: ia the appearance of field
crops generally.
/ Daring this time the teamwork made
rapid progress. The latter portion
of the week. however, was below the
active growing temperature for some oil
the principal crops cultivated in this
state, for instance cotton which will moi
grow or thrive under IS degrees.
Corn has improved generally al
though iss condition is extremely varied
and 10 bus few places entirely satisfac
tory. Stands in msny places are very
irregular owing to replautipg, and ca
worms have destroyed stand. 10 macy
places. Early corr on eardy lands i
doing fairly we'll. 10 the western
counties considerable area remains t
be planted, while 10 York couoty fields
planted TO cotton aud which failed tt
come up to satisfactory stands have
been plowed over aud plaosed to corn
Corn that is up has received its frs
aud second cultivation The coo
weather recently has given it yellow
cast.