The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-20

The Weather and Late paintings.
February weather has made record for
itself in the year 1899. The cold Saturday
of February, 1885, has worn the belt for
sixty odd years, as the unit for comparing
low temperatures in the South. Ii must
stand aside somewhat and let 1899 take
prominence in weather history. Few per-
sons living have a feeling" recollection Of
that cod spell "a years ago. Millions can
now testify to that of February 10, 1899
the cold Monday or the cold Tuesday as
the case may be; both We're cold enough.
The minimum temperature in Central
Georgia ranged from degrees below zero
to 5 above, with Southern Georgia com
ing pretty close second, with only a little
higher temperature.
The cold wave of 80 was a week later
than that of So The record cannot show
when there was such a cold ST. Valentines
day as there was this year. The birds took
no thought of mating, but simply concen-
trated their efforts towards keeping from
freezing The gardener of Middle Georgia
didn't plant his potatoes on Feb. IA, as
he may have done for many years here
ofore. II may lie many days before he
does plant
The cold wave is surely a record break
er. It has vastly disordered the scheme OF
horticultural and agricultural activity.
There has been little work done. What has
been done win have TO be done again over
large range Of territory everything green
or sprouting has been killed by the lev
blasts of winter. The aggregate loss in the
South Atlantic states, covering everything
destroyed or injured by the cold if ac-
curately computed would run up into the
milions-injuTy to fruit, to crops. to stock
TO flowers and Towering plants, curtail-
Inent Of labor duys-all to be taken into the
accouct.
It is pretty bad 10 be sure but what will
we DO about it? Why, pick our hsnt and
try it again" All dangers are not deaths -
Men get wen of cholera, yellow fever and
what not. Bad beginnings have been known
time and again 10 make good endines
Fortune smiles oft follow close her frown
Many and many time we have noticed
he very best crops to result from the very
latest paintings.
Where blowing has been delayed by wet
weather there is always danger of the
iahd being plowed when TOO wet and be-
ing poorly plowed. Hasty work is rarely
good work.
Now the average tenant has little or no
concern whether the land is injured or
not, If he thinks he can make crop on IL
| that season. He should know. however.
that it is the first crop planted on land
plowed wet that Is the crop most short
ened, as q general rule. In sections where
| there is nor sufficient freezing of the soil
| IN winter TO correct lhe evil resulting from
| wet p.owing, the injury may extend to
| several crops. Mere wet pioNing in March
may more than offset the advantage Of
several dolars worth of fertilizer per
| acre. The sitter or more clayey the soil
| the greater the damage. Sandy up1ands.
| Of course. are less likely to be
| injured In ihis way and con be plowed
much earlier after a rain. Such soil can
! usually be safely plowed after one windy
| day. There are other soils that do not
get in gocd condition for blowing under a
wce.l of fair weather unless il is warm
and windy. These remarks apply to spring
| blowing, of course.
| As much land as possible should be list
! ed up while in good condition for blowing.
| Land thus listed i'm February or early
! March win dry off faster after a rain than
! land not plowed a all.
| Some years ago the writer made a test
! of late planted cotton to compare with
/ early planted. The latter was planted
| April 10 on clean bedded land. The late
was planted June u 0wo months later)
after oats and on the level, using two va
| rieties~-a cluster and a long-limbed va
| riety. Now ii happened that August was
! dry and the early planted lost many
squares from shedding. The late planted
made more than the early The late cus-
Ter variety yielded about so per cent more
| than the April planting of the long-limbed
| kind. The hate planted cluster" matured
| nearly all the fruit set, having favorable
weather at the critical time and injurious
| frost not occurring until the middle OF
| November. AS remarked. IA Is not the
| early paintings that always make the best
crops but late paintings should always
! have the advantage of well-prepared soil.
and prompt and rapid cultivation.