The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-29
TRUCK UNHURT BY
LONG DRY SPELL
ALL PLANTS APPEAR FRESH.
AS YET THERE ARE NO EVIDENCES
OF WHITING AT MIDDAY.

Continued Dry Weather Would Ser
iOusIy Harm CrOps-MethOds OF
Retaining Moisture i'm Earth Has
Done Much to Prevent Injury.
Method Explained by MIR. NJ. L..
ExIey-With One Exception, This
Month Has Been Driest April tn
Years-NO Rain in 20 Days.
Despite the continued dry weather.
truck farmers report that from all ap-
jured.
A continued dry spell Will, however,
seriously hurt the crops, and general
desire for rain is expressed.
The official records, as compiled by
Local Forecaster H. B. Boyer, show
driest, but one, in thirty three years,
breaking all records save that of 1902.
Though there are still two days to
the month it is hardly probable that
there will be sufficient rainfall to bring
the total to the normal, anG the month
will close with a deficiency.
The average rainfall. which should
occur in April, is 1928 inches. Thus
| far there is deficiency of nearly three
inches. The total amount of rainfall
this month is only ,35 of an inch. All
this fell in light showers on April Z, 8
| and 8.
This makes a stretch of twenty days
without rain, with the exception Of q
drop of two which was too small TO
| be measured by even the delicate in
| strument at the Weather Bureau Prac-
tically the month has been without any
rain, as the slight amount recorded,
scattered over three days, would be
scarcely perceptible.
The following is the record for rain
| made by April since the establishment
of the Weather Bureau here in 1871:
1871 4.2S inches; 1872, 27b inches; 1878,
4.37 inches 1874, 2.69 inches; 1875; sill
| inches; 1876, 5.74 inches; 1877, S.S2 in
ches; 1878, 6 inches; 1879, $50 inches;
1885, 4.49 inches; 1881, 8 80 inches; 1882,
1892 inches; 1888, 2.94 inches; 1884, BOP
| inches; 1885, 3.7S inches; 1886, LA in
| ches; 1887, 2.06 inches; 1885, 06 inches;
1889, IL inch; 1890, 2.36 inches; 1891
2.91 inches; 1902, .16 inch, and 19O3
100 inches.
For the last ten years the following
amounts of rainfall have been credited
to April: 1894 0.64; 1885, 4.43; 1896,
Isl; 1897, 1885, 1898, 2.46; 1899, III;
1900. 400; 1901, 1.91; 1902, 2.47, and
last year total Of SO inches.
Crops Uninjured So Far.
When asked about the conditions of
the truck farms, Mr. NJ. l.. Exley
said: while we are all hoping for rain
and need it badly, yet as far as l can
see there has been no harm done by
the absence of moisture. All of the
| plants appear green and fresh and do
not wilt down about the middle of the
| day. When they are parched for wa
! ter this monday whiting is always
| characteristic.
Should the dry spell continue for
/ any great length of time of course
| there will be damage done, and If it
should continue to any great length
| this might be considera BILE. The straw
| berries may be somewhat affected by
the dry spell, but even in this case l do
| not believe that any harm has been
done. Though they are somewhat
| smaller, they are sweeter and better
| berries.
How Moisture Is Retained.
1--WE have done all we could to aid
the plants in the absence of rain, and
the careful treatment of the ground
has helped greatly BY working the
SIOuItu ONCi llBnlly we nave HldndBeu
to keep the lower earth damp and from
this the plants draw their moisture.
I'm the winter we plough deep" said.
Mr.. Exley, when asked for an explana-
ton of the method of retaining mois-
ture in the earth, and the winter
rains thus go to a considerable depth
Later we see to it that the earth on
the surface is kept loose, and not al
lowed to pack and crust. This is done
by lightly ploughing it over during the
entire year.
Experiment has demonstrated that