The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-03-28
THE WEATHER.
Three Well Defined Cold Waves
Come This Way,
THE RAINFALL VERY HEAVY
Conditions Were Unfayorable for
Farming Operations, So
Farmer Bauer Asserts.

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Below is the monthly bulletin Of the
South Carolina section of the United
States weather and crop service for ths
month Of February, which will be o.
special interest to the farmers Of tht
State:
WEATHER AND CROPS.
The month Of February, 1900, va:
much colder than usual, with three
we'll defined cold waves, one on the Is
Of the month, the second on tho 18th
aud another on the 25 26th. The cold
est weather of the month generally
occurred during the second period, al
though at q few places it was coldest
on the lst. The temperature extreme:
were within previously recorded limits
There were comparatively few days OF
which the temperature rose above the
normal, aud the average mean wa:
below the active growing point, over
the greater portion Of the State.
The rainfall vas heavy, and in ez.
cess Of the normal amounts, over the
extreme western portions Of the State,
where, 10 places, it amounted to over
10 inches, with gradually decreasing
amounts toward the coast, where there
was less than the usual amount, al.
though the deficiency was not large
enough to be harmful.
The weather conditions were unfa-
vorable throughout the month for
farming operations, and the severe cold
of the 18th killed much truck Of all
kinds in the coastal regions. The
ground was generally too wet to plow,
and few, ifany, spring oats were sown,
while reports from all sections of the
State indicate that fall sown oats were
badly damaged, especially on light,
sandy soils. Many such fields will be
plowed up and devoted to other crops.
Wheat withstood the severe weather,
and, although small, remains promis-
ing.
Over the greater portion of the State
the buds Of fruit showed no signs Of
swelling, and are probably uninjured.
In the extreme southeastern portion Of
the State plum trees began to blossom
on the 10th of the month, but other
fruits, especially peaches, had not be-
gun to bloom at the close Of the month.
1t is believed that the fruit prospects
are as yet unimpaired.
General farm work is later than usu-
al. No corn was planted during the
month, and gardening was impracti-
cable owing to the coldness and wet
ness Of the soil.
VARIABLE WEATHER.
In recent years, and the same was
probably true before weather records
were so generally kept, the month Of
February has become noted as the
most variable month Of the year. In
some years the entire month is spring
like, mild and halmy. Again the entire
month is cold, vet, cloudy, and windy,
while other years exhibit in rapid sue
cession the various weather phases pc.
culiar to this State in the winter sea-
son.
The mean temperature for February,
deduced from varying periods Of from
5 to 12 years observations, is 46 3 de-
grees, or nearly 2 degrees higher than
the mean for January. State means
have been deduced from observations
covering so short period Of time that
it is probable that the extreme varia-
tion has not been definitely determined,
only approximately so, by the existing
record, which dates back to 1893. Since
that time February, 1897, was the
warmest, with State mean Of 30 de-
grees, and February, 1895, the coldest,
with a mean temperature 1914 de-
grees.
The highest maximum temperature
recorded in the past s years was 85 de-
grecs at Gillionsville in February,
1897, and the lowest minimum in 1899
at Santuc and Shaw's Fork, where II
degrees below zero was noted on the
morning Of the 14sh.
It is not alone in the matter Of tenn
perature that the month shows great
variability but also in precipitation,
which for the past 8 years ranged from
State average Of 0.SG Of an inch in
1898 to 7. SO inches ia 1897, while the av-
erage amount. or normal, is 4 10 in ,hes.
Snow is quite common, and there has
been no year since 1898 without some
snow iu the State. The least was re.
corded in 1898 when trace fell at So
ciety Hill, while the year with the
heaviest snowfall was 1895, when Is. 5
inches we're recorded at Holland. Snow
seldom accumulates to any consider
able depth, and rarely remains on the
ground longer than three days, except
IN 1885, when it lasted about seven
days.
Farm work usually is actively carried
on in this month, especially in the
eastern portions, where lands for corn
and cotton receive their first prepara-
ton, and in some years corn and oats
are planted during the latter part of
February. In the same sections fruit
trees usually begin to bloom and gar
dens are prepared and planted, while
the harder vegetables are cultivated
on the truck farms. IL the central and
western portions Of tho State little
farm work except plowing is practi-
cable, and usually it is too wet to do
much of that.