The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-06-15
WARM SPELL
CAUSES JUMP
Less Precipitation for Month Just
Ended Than Ever Known in
a History of the Weather
Bureau-Watermelons
Are Set Back.
RICHM oND.v A.-special.-

X c II Nj o n ID, V A.-Special-
The dry spell. broken today. has been
bad on housekeepers and those who
ALL Prices on vegetables are so far
who live i'm boarding houses and no
tells The weather is TO blame for il
conduct boarding houses and hotels.
Especially bad has il been on those
beyond what they were last year as
90 make the condition record
breaker. Today's rain will relieve con-
ditiOns to some extent.
For example, snaps, or string beans,
as they are otherwise called. are sell
ing wholesale at $3.50 basket, as
against $3.50 a basket about ten days
ago. Cymblings are worth S2.50 a
crate this week as against $1.25 ten
days ago. This is exactly double.
English peas have doubled in price.
from fifty cents to 81 a buShel All
of these vegetables are shipped from
the South. But even in the South the
lack of rain has been great and the
produce that is shipped in is bringing
a double price.
In the city market there is no little
gloom over the condition. 1t is but
temporary, however, and is not due
10 any cause other than the dry spell.
Buyers for tables are dealing largely
in fish. The fish market this season
Is better than ever before. Meats are
not selling well, according to the
butchers. who say the hot weather
has almost put them out of business.
People are seeking anything but the
heating qualities of meats at this sea-
son. Chicken, however, is doing well
on the market. Chickens and eggs
are bringing the regular summer
prices. Eggs are selling at retail at
frOTc twenty to twenty-five cents. But
ter is selling as we'll as usual with lit
tie change in prices according to quail
ity-
Few WatermeIOns This Year.
The luscious watermelon has been
given a setback from which it will
hardly entirely recover. The season
is growing late and the melons are
being burned on the vine by the hot
sun. Catalogues are in the same fix.
Unless the South sends in a good crop
the melons will be limited and will
bring high prices this season. Some
of the Southern planters and truckers
have learned to avoid droughts by ir-
rigatiOn Of land, planting near rivers
and creeks for this purpose.
Corn is doing pretty well. In an
interview with T. w. Wood & Sons.
one of the largest seed concerns in
the country, il was stated today that
the corn crop is probably bearing up
better than any other. The reason
for this is that corn has been planted
deeper and the soil is holding the
moisture better.
Strawberries are in bad shape. The
fruit is practically ruined by the long
dry spell. Lack Of rain is rotting the
strawberry on the vine. Strawberries
are bringing from twelve and a half
to twenty and twenty-five cents a bas-
ket, whereas they usually bring ten
cents or three for a quarter at this
time of year
1t is said the catch of fish has been
better this season than ever before.
This was true Of the local shad fish
ing as well as the Norfolk and sea
coast catch. Norfolk has sent in more
fish this season than for many years.
The tables of the local boarding houses
are noticeably we'll supplied with fish.
Seed men all claim that they are
selling a large amount of seed for a
second planting. It's a case of the
I'll wind that blows no good. The seed
men at least are getting a benefit.
Railroads. however, are not carrying
the dry spell has affected the entire
South.
weather Bureau for May.
From the chart issued by the Weather
seen that the month OF May has broken
the record for the period covered by the
department since ii was started in the
year 1871, forty years ago. The month
has truly been one of the most dis
agreea BILE the country can rememb Der.
The total rainfall for the month as
shown by the bureau is only 0.6O. In
1881 IL was lis, and this is the next
lowest in the years that have been re-
corded. Take the entire period covered
and note what "A vast difference there
that though the temperature record has
not been broken for the year 1911, the
dry spell wins the pennant in class
all its own. Here are the figures:
Precipita tion-Total this month, O.6O;
snowfall, 90: greatest precipitation in
twenty four hours, OBS, 31st, June 1st;
snow on the ground at end Of month,
Total precipitation this month in