The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-08-05
CONDITIONS
ARE SERIOUS
If Hot Weather Continues
Farmers Work Will
Have Been in Vain.

Lake county for the past two week:
mas been baking oven and a glow.
Ing furnace of heat. From the Calu.
met to the Kankakee the torrid ravs
OF the sun have licked up every BIZ
OF moisture in the fields and the
ground is parched by drouth until
the conditions have become critical
Choking simoons of dust blow over
the fields and gag the painting earth
until the crops are in peril.
Unless the sun and the skies reIept
rain within the next few days. condi-
tiOns in the country around about HAM
mond and Lake county are going to
De very serious, and for the first time
IN years the farmer Will be faced with
the danger of crop failure.
SO fur conditions nre such that if a
rain does not come within two or three
days all of the crops ON the high place.
In the fields viii be ruined Already
the corn ON high clay lands Is willing
and 1T viii not take many more scorch-
ing days to ruin the CROP
The opinion seems to be prevalent.
however, that on the bottom lands the
crops will be able to go for n ,yee,
or perhaps two without any water. If
you find = pessimistic farmer he is gem
orally the owner of high land and if
you find an optimistic farmer he is in
Nartably the owner of low land.
But all of them will be more or less
affected by this drought unless 1T is
soon brought to an end by good rain.
In some sections of the county there
have been showers and the crops have
benefited by them, but what the county
needs and must have is a widespread
storm.
Interviews with farmers by long dis
tance reveal the seriousness of the sit
uation.
X. WORK. MAN, Liberty, IH-The
lack of rain is threatening the crops
all over this part of the country. If
wet get rain within a week the corn.
cabbabe and potato crop will be a fair
one, but it viii be ruined if it does not
rain by that time. The early potato
crop was not more than one-half of
normal At the present time the corn
is starting to wilt and in the CLAW
country, in the neighborhood of Har-
vey the heat is running the crop The
hap crop has ben harvested and there /
can be no complaint of it. oats are
not running more than thirty-ffve bush /
els to the acre. and that is far from be-
ing a good crop. In the vicinity of
FINLEY Park the pastures are burning
up.
JOE GERLACH, st. John Township.
Our land here is a clay bottom and
the heat is drying the sap out of the
corn We need rain and need 1T badly.
Potatoes promised well, but they are
IN danger unless we get rain and get
t mighty soon. The pastures are get I,
ing bare, but If we got rain they L
would be all right. /
GEORGE j. JARNECKE, saxony, Ind. Il
In the spring we had too much rain (,
md that hurt the crops. and now in I,
he fall there is not enough rain and
hat threatens the crops. In the high
places the corn is already ruined and ,
lnless we have rain in a week the
whole crop will be spoiled The no I
atoes and cabbage can be saved If
We get rain in a short time. but they
ire already showing the effects of the
lrought.
GUST SToMMEL, Dyer, Ind.-On ac-
cunt of the large amount OF low land
n the vicinity of Dyer we are not
'ery much in need of rain, although
good showed would not do us anv ,
larm. On the high land south of town.
he farmers are greatly in need of .
howers and the crops are drying up.
he valley land between Dyer and :
hammond is in good shape and good ,
rops are promised. The oats WELD :
; light. but there is a big hay crop 2
nd the wheat is thrasing out thirty ,
usheis to the acre. The pastures are 7
rying up and rain would do them
ood. r
SAM WOODS, MerriIIviIle. Tnd.-wa E
eed rain badly, but on the bottom