The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-28
Conditions Are Alarming to
the Farmers.
THE LlGHTNlNG'S DOlNGS
Fire from Heaven Ascends Upon Gay
Colonial Beach in Many Places.
Somerset Beach an Excursion
Resort for Colored People.
Especial to The Time..DispAtch.)

CONFORM. VA. June 27.-The peculiar
weather the past spring and present
summer, up to this time, is subject
OF very general comment among the
country folk Just now, and the effects
OF the wonderful weather" upon the
crops are so marked As to cause no lit
tie uneaslness among the farmers. The
unusually cool and wet weather through
out the months OF March. April and May
was detrimental to all vegetation and to
the farming interests generally, yet It
was hoped and commended that "hot.
dry June would "repair damages" and
'even up matters all right. But June
has brought disappointment to the
farmers and great damage to the crops.
The cold, stormy weather prevailing
from the first OF the month tn this time
has not only retarded farm work so that
the fields have suffered for tillage, but
has very seriously injured the crops.
With but few exceptions. the corn has
grown very little during the past two
farms In this section the crop is very
indifferent and unpromising In some
carefully and thoroughly TILED fields
here the corn from the ground mp to
the top. Is of most peculiar color--some
OF the blades being bright red, some a
dark purple and some a deep yellow
presenting the appearance OF ribbon OF
ton Is attracting widespread attention,
and is so extraordinary that nothing
like 1t was ever before known here. One
Bpalnstaking farmer near this place had
his corn thinned and worked very
thoroughly last week while the ground
was In good order. and expected TO see
1t grow rapidly after such treatment.
but by the middle OF this week that field
OF CORN was as red and purple as fiashy
ribbons in a dry goods store. AS no kind
of fertilizer was used on the fields where
the corn has turned red the phenomi-
nal condition is believed to be due to
cold weather and excessive rains. Along
the Rappahannock Valley the corn Is In
much more satisfactory and promising
condition, though not as good as 1t ought
to be at this time Of the year, but un-
less some radical change takes place be :
fore long. some OF the fields In the
forest and along the Potomac slope Will
not yield barrel OF corn to the acre
LIGHTNING'S DOINGS.
The lIghtnIng's doIngs Mt Colonial
Beach in Westmorelnnd county. last
week is still the topic of talk throughout
this section. The fact that lightning
struck the three liquor saloons and the
famous big tree that SO long shaded the
beer garden is regarded by the local op.
ton advocates as very significant and
as powerful warning against the saloon
business. 1t has been stated here TINS
\ week that the man who committed sui
eide at Colonial Beach about the time
that lightning "pounced down on" the
drinking places had been engaged in the
liquor business for some time. and, In
& the opinion OF many, this adds no little
Significance to the question Of liquor
dealing and liquor drinking at that sum
mer resort. Certainly these strange
casualties at Colonial Beach have caused
great deal of comment, and no little ex-
element. to say the least. but further
than this, your correspondent sayeth not.
COLORED RESORT.
A number OF the colored people OF
Washington city have rented, or leased,
Somerset Beach, on the Potomac River,
IN this county, and are running excur-
sions to that place several times each
week. Mr.. F. W. Payne. of this county.
and several business men Of Washington,
compose the company that owns Somerset
Beach. and they have been endeavoring
for several years to develop the place