The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-08-26
DROUGHT WAS GENERAL
RAINFALL WAS DEFICIENT IN
NEARLY ALL STATES.

NEARLY ALL STATES.
South Carolina and Kansas Had the
Biggest Decrease in Rainfall Dur.
ing TIE Year.
Frederick J. Haskins, who dis
cusses most intelligently and enter
tainingly various subjects in many
newspapers says although copious
rains in the past few weeks have re-
stored the parched vegetation Of the
farms of the United States, the sum.
mer of 1911 will be long remember
ed as a season Of widespread and un-
precedented drought. In other years
there have been more severe droughts
in certain sections of the country, but
this year the rainfall was far below
normal in the early summer In nearly
all of the states. The rainfall IN
1910 was generally below normal
also, and the resultant shortage in
the stock of moisture caused the
drought to be even more injurious
to crops than usual.
It is a remarkable feature OF the
American agricultural resources that
even a general drought, following a
period of low rainfall in previous
years, has not brought threat OF
famine. The greatest damage has
been to garden truck, potatoes and
other vegetables requiring a great
deal of rain. The grain crops, other
than corn, escaped because the
drought came too late to hurt them,
and the rains came again in time to
save the greater part Of the corn
crop. Nevertheless, many localities
have suffered great loss and the cost
Of living will be Influenced by the
shortage.
For some reason, which has not
yet been ascertained by any scient-
list, the average rainfall throughout
the whole country has been diminish
ing during the past ten years. Wheth-
er or not this decrease is likely to- be
permanent no one can tell. At var
ious times, since the existence Of the
United State weather bureau, the
amount Of rainfall has Increased or
decreased in different parts OF the
country, causing the chart indicat-
ing it to present wavelike appear
ance. There is twelve inches differ
ence between the maximum rainfall
of the country as recorded and that
of 1910, and according to the present
indications this year will increase the
difference of precipitation which is
already greatly below any previous
record.
Former droughts have, in most
cases, been confined to one or
two sections of the country, but this
year it prevailed throughout the en-
tire United States, with the excep-
ton of a few isolated localities where
the rainfall has been little about
normal.
The greatest droughts on record
this summer, as measured by the de-
crease in rainfall, are in South Caro-
lima and Kansas, where during June
and July the precipitation has been
80 to 3S per cent. below normal. Ihe
normal rainfall throughout the coun-
try has been estimated by the United
States weather bureau at 29 inches,
and the area is divided in this re-
spect into the following classifica-
tions: Deserts or arid lands, 10 in
ches per year; semi-arid or light
rains, 20 to Is inches; moderate, 20
tc so inches; copious, so to rs inch
es, and excessive, about rs lncnes.
A rainfall of less than Is inches
precludes ordinary agriculture ex-
cepting by the aid Of irrigation. IN
some localities the dry farming of
certain crops overcomes the difficulty
of scant moisture to large extent.
Dry farming is really "good farming
in the highest possible utilization or
every natural advantage. This is one
of the means by which the depart
ment of agriculture expects to keep
IN the standards of crops throughout
the country, even though the rainfall
should continue to decrease as 1t has
during the past decade.
According to the latest record the
United States has less than six per
cent. of it's area in the excessive rain
fall class, exceeding rs inches an
nually. Sixteen per cent ranges from
so to rs inches, rs per cent from 25
to SO inches, 80 per cent from 16 to
25 inches and 20 per cent less than
10 inches. 1t is upon these figures
that the normal average of 29 inches
rer annum is based.
The measuring Of rainfall through
but the United States is made by
means of careful tests at each of the
200 observation stations of the wea.
ther bureau. Carefully constructed
rain guages are supplied by which the
rain is collected continually and
measured and estimated for the sur
face OF that particular LEGALITY. 1n
speaking of the rainfall of the coun-
try the Specification is that the
amount of water which falls would,
If collected, at once, reach the num-
Der of inches shown during the year.
Irrigation is advancing to de-
gree which indicates that in some