The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-06-15
RESULT OF THE RAINS
Half Million Dollars Worth of DAM
age Done Throughout the state
(TimeS- -TniOn)

With a total of 1915 inches of rain
fall in this section of the state since
May p, and equal or possibly
greater precipitation in other sections
of Florida during the same period, il
is feared by Jacksonville produce men
that damage to crops estimated at sew
|eral thousand dollars has been sus
tanned. Tampa reports indicate that
the entire loss through the state may
total 100000.
From May p until the close of that
month. the total rainfall was 1.79
inches, the total for the first twelve
days of June, when the skies cleared,
being S.39. The downpour has broken
lall records for June in Florida, ac-
icordfng to figures compiled by the
weather bureau, in this city.
CantaIoupe Crop Ruined
Reports reaching here indicate that
practically all that was left of the
cantaloupe crop has been ruined. For
tunately, however. the bulk of the
shipments had moved before the de-
luge made picking and shipping an i'm
possibility Gainesville is reported to
be sending out a few cars of canta
loupes this week, but the quality is
said to be poor and the prices paid the
growers promise to be small.
Not only has the rain wrought havoc
| to the cantaloupe crop, but watermelon
shipments have been delayed and large
quantities of tomatoes have rotted in
the fields.
Probably the heaviest damage to
crops has been occasioned in the
Gainesville section of the state and
points further south. Produce men
here are beginning to receive reports
! of crop conditions. but it will probably
! be several days before the complete
| estimate of damage done by the storm
had been compiled.
| Reports from ST. Petersburg and
Lakeland indicate that railway traffic
| has been seriously retarted by the
| floods and that many fields are under
water.
! In many places in South Florida
much land that was thought to have
been thoroughly drained. is inundated.
drowning out crops of tender vegeta-
! bles and making the land unworkable
Even higher land that is ordinarily
dry and needs irrigation to be produc-
tive, is wet and unworkabIe.
| Chances are Slim
Sanford reports that the continued
rains have played havoc with growing
watermelons and that the chances for
the crop are slim. This will make the
price of waterme1ons in the local mar
ket almost prohibitive. it is believed.
! Word comes from the fields in Lake
county that the rains are blighting the
melon vines badly and a short crop
will result, Sanford growers report
the bloom being knocked off by the
rains and that the crop in that section
will be short.
Last year the melon crop was a
source of profit to Sanford growers
but the rains this year will wear grsat
holes in their receipts.
In the event that the weather re-
mains cloudy in the melon growing
sections of the state for the next few
days. so that the hot sun does not
cause further damage. it is possible
that a fair proportion of the water
melon yield may be saved and be sold
to Northern produce men. Excessively
warm weather, however. would prove
disastrous TO what remains of the
Icrop.
Many Sections Affected
Among other towns which have beer
hard hit by the damage done to mel
ons are Venice, Frost Proof. Wauchula
iChulueta. Montbrook, Inverness. Trilb1
land Apopka.