The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-02-15
ALL EYES WATCH SKIES
Rainfall Thus Far In The New Year Is
Very Disappointing.
1T WAS BELOW NORMAL LAST YEAR
The Ground in Good Shape for Powinu
and the Grain Is Not Vet Damaged,
but Serious Fears Are Entertained.

cultural ana commercial! interests In Texas
are watching the skies The state must
have raln--and lots Of livery soon or
crop shortage may he expected. prcc!pita.
tlon last year was below normal. a1l so
far this year, eXcep; In South Texas. Il
has been disappointing.
The annual summary Of the Texas see
tion Of the climate and crop service Of The
United States weather bureau attribute S
the leauness OF the yields for 1901 from
practically all crops and more especially
from cotton and the cereals. to the short
age in rainfall which prevailed over all
parts of the state at some time and Ia
many parts thereof at an times du, Ing tie
year. According TO that summary toe aver
age annual precipitation for 1901 WINS 80 ~.
which is I.9S below the normal rhr
greatest annual precipitation was 5i.33 at
Galveston, Galveston county, and tha
least, 100 at Sanderson. rccos county.
There was slight excess In thc Panhandle
and at scattered points along the guit
coast; elsewhere there was dc6cieucy,
with the greatest departure, minus 81 3
at Houston, The average mnutGy rain.
fails with departures from the n1rmui,
Tor the state, were rs follows. January
0.6o. minus 10; February, LIS, plus
o0z; Murch, 1.43. minus OBS; Aprl. iDiy
minus u.1G, May, 3i2, minus COZ; juno,
l,2T, minus $50; July. 2,ii, minus u.i-,
August, 1.54. minus 1.0i; septcmb1v. 3@N,
plus $50: October lGH, minus oG2; No.
Vembor. l.63, minus COL; December. t.t5,
minus LO5. From the foregoing IL will be
observed that during two months onl}
February and September was the normal
amount Of rainfall received. The x eutest
monthly rainfall was 1900 inches at G1i-
weston, Galveston county in October Tho
only notable rainfall for twenty four cou.
secutive hours was 14.l0 inches at Calves
ton, October Z and $. The average mum
Der Of days with OF or more Oh rainfnl
was as.
Rain, slect and snow have fallen through.
out the State since January I, 1902 but
while the ground is in good condition iu
majority Of eases In no case can II be
said that there has been sufficient mo's.
ture to supply the deficiency resulting from
the drouth OF 1901
According to the reports received br the
railroads the territory along the New York.
Texas and Mexican has had the most rain
.his year. n trihe over two ana une-half
Inches having fallen since January !.
From along the line OF the Texas and
New Orleans. from Sabine Pass to Nucog.
docheN reports of two and one-quurter
inches OF rain have been received aud pro
fallen from Houston to orange. A two-iuch
fail ls the record for the Houston EAST
and West Texas, from Houston to Nacog
doches. North OF thst point the rain mud
sleet, added to the amount Of moisture ac-
crulng from the precipitation, Will run &c
up possibly to two aud Oueh8lf inches.
About one and one-firth inches fell along
The Texas and New Orleans from Dallas to
Athens.
Along the northern division Of the Hous-
ton and Texas Central, and along the Waco
branch OF the same road the Slect, accom-
panied by drlzzllng rains, that fen repre-
sent ed n precipitation of about one Inch I'm
addition to which traces OF rain were
several times reported. The equivalent Of
one and throe.fourhs inches Of rain fell
a.ong the same line from Hcmnstcad TO
Liano, and from Houston to CorscAun
Nearly two inches of rain fen from
Houston to san Antonio along the line OF
the Galveston, Harrisburg and san An.
tonic and San Antonio ana Arkansas Pass
railways, and about the same fell from
san Antonio to Corpus Christi. West ~
San Antonio one Inch Of rain fell as far
out as Del Rio. West Of Del Rio IN re
has heen but a slight shower Of no conSe-
Quence
Much snow fcl along the western dlyi.
sion Of the Texas and Pacific ana in the
Panhandle G, which helped the grain and put
the ground In good condition, but did not
make sufficient water for cattle
On the whole, while the precipitation
has been quite acceptable and served
Inadequate and much more Is needed.
From thirty 10 forty lnchs Of rain in
twelve months are needed to make good
crops, aud but comparatively small por-
ton OF the state received nuvthing Ike
this amount last year The soil everywhere
Is dry. hard and warm. and TN "a condition
TO absorb much moro than the needed aver
age OF moisture, so that unless more pre-
cipit0tlcu comes soon farming prosnnrtS
for 1902 will become exceedingly gloomy.
The following opinions as 10 present agri-
cultural conditions VIII serve as an H.
lustrntion of how matters stand:
y, $. Peters, Calvert, president Of the
Cotton Growers association an extensive
Bra2os planter; we have had inst
Ia a.
Ing, hut I notice that few Inches under
the surface the ground is dry and crncked
We must have much more rain IN the cot
ton and corn belt TO insure fnlr crops IN
the grain bolt OF North Texas, ! under
stand, the damage has already been ser
ious."
r. G. senter. lawyer. Dallas: "Ny i'm
preston is that the injury to the grain crop
so far Is slight Bat serious damage Il
anticipated. There must he general arI
abundant rain very soon or the crop vii
be cut very short have never observed,
even on the plains or West Texas such
DAY"
s. H. Dixon. Of the Houston Enst and
West Texas; "The farmers on our Inc
are breaking ground and planting hut they
need rain, They say they never know the
soil 10 he 50 warm This means an early
crop, and short one u there Is not rain
soon and plenty of ~"
Frank Holla-A publisher % Texas Farm
and Ranch: Tho soil Is in good condition
right now, but we need more rain 1hcre
has not been a good rain IN North T"vss
IN three months The farmers are not
suffering vet from an agricultural ste1a-
polnt Int there Is no stock water or wntoE
for domestic purposes Crooks and snrlngs
that have never failed before have gone
dry. and every hit OF the moisture IN the
ground Is on the surface have bocn
Informed that q noted spring IN Eills coun.
u. which has always yielded M nhun.
dance Of water. hiss quit running and that
. Ia rrfN al .
sources ~ sunny. Yes we need more
rama great deal more rain"
Kaufman. Kaufman County. Texas Feb.
ruary l3.-Pecan lake. ahont twelve miles
from this city, Is dry for the FIRST time IN
thirty years.
SALOON MEN ENJolNED.