The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-06-11
INCREASING DROUGHT
Showers of the Past Wee k
Were Entirely Local
Rain Needed Over the Cotton Belt, Insect
Cause Injury in Certain Sections. The
Tobacco Crop.

The weekly crop bulletin issued by
tho North Carolina section of the eli
mate and Crop Service. United States
Department of Agriculture, says for the
week ending June 5th:
The diminished progress in the growth
of vegetation, the dying of young. not
We'll rooted plants, the hardened condl-
ton of the soil, afford accommodating evil
deIce of the increasing severity OF the
drought now prevailing in North Caro-
lima. Although showers occurred during
the past week in several sections which
were very beneficial, they We're entirely
local in character; in most places the
week was extremely dry, and large
ma iority of crop reports indicate that
without a general rain soon the hereto
fore excellent condition of crops will be
materially changed for the worse. The
temperature this week was somewhat
above the seasonable average, but rather
low at night: the amount Of sunshine
was abundant. The condition of crops
as regards the state of cultivation and
freedom from weeds continues exception
ally good, but if weeds and grass CALI
not grow on account of drought neither
can the crops. The fact must not be lost
sight of however, that a thorough Gull
tivation CT the surface soil conserVes the
moisture beneath for the use of crops.
Cotton on the whole has not suffered
seriously frcm drought and has to some
extent recovered from the effects of very
cool nights last week: this statement APP
plies to early planted, which has made
good growth; on the other hand much
late planted has not come up. or where
up the tender plants have been killed
by drought: stands of cotton have be-
come less satisfactory than heretofore re-
ported. A few reports of lice on cotton
have been received. The earliest COTTON
blooms appeared in the south portion oil
June 4th. Corn, while needing rain bad
~. is holding its own fairly Well: Wilt
ing takes place during the warmest por-
ton of the day, but the plants recover
st night; killing or laying by has begun
in few places. Tobacco is suffering
from drougt quite seriously, as the dry
weather has prevented plants from max
ing a good start in growth: stands are
bad; many plants remain in the beds
which may be set out wnen season per-
mtts. Rice in the lower Cape Fear Gis-
tricts is in fine condition. The cutting of
winter wheat and rye has begun on a
small scale, and harvest will become
general next week: while wheat has
headed so low that some of it cannot be
cut, and is very thin on the land, quite
q large number of reports indicate that
the heads are we'll filled, and may give
a better yield than anticinated. Spring
oats have suffered very much from
drought, and are also heading low. Pas
lures on urlands are failing rapidly;
some farmers arc sowing cowpeas for
forage. Peaches are ripening i'll eastern
districts; also blaekherries ard huckle-
berries, of which there will be a large
crop. Other fruits have continued to
fail sc long that the general prospect
for fruit is less favorable than was the
case earlier in the season.