Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-14

feet stand. The apparent evidence was
that if there is any crop that can with
stand hail storm, that crop is alfalfa;
but when the circumstance was after
ward mentioned to Mr.. John T. Rod
dey in Rock Hill, that gentleman said
that he knew Of alfalfa patches that
were literally wiped off the earth so
completely that it was impossible to
tell that anything had been planted
there.
Throughout the district where the
cotton crop appears to have been COM
pletely wiped out, the corn patches
show varying aspects. There are to be
seen some patches where the corn was
only IS or 20 inches high. The stalks
had been stripped Of leaves; but were
already beginning to show signs Of re-
covery. The same was true Of other
corn still further advanced, almost to
the tasseling stage, and although all of
it is apparently ruined beyond any
possibility Of hope there are expert
enced farmers who say that if it con-
tinues to receive proper cultivation, it
will yet make some forage and posi-
bly, pretty good yield of grain.
In Rock Hill, Messrs. c. L. Cobb. T.
l.. Johnston, w. b. Byers, ]. 7. Roddey,
J. b. Johnson and numerous others to
whom the representative talked, were
still talking of relief measures. They
had been telegraphing from Maine to
Mexico trying to get Irish potato seed;
but without much success. They had
located some sorghum and few peas;
but hardly enough to be worth while,
and DR.. Johnson had gotten hold Of a
quantity Of golden dent corn over in
ed shipped to him at once. Three Of
the Southern railways farm demon
stration agents were working in the
vicinity together with Mr.. McKeown,
the local man, and all were giving such
advice and encouragement as they
could. While everybody seemed to
think that the main reliance would be
on corn, sorghum, sofa beans and the
like, there was much strong talk in IA
vor Of Irish potatoes. 1t was still
problem as to where the old seed were
to come from, but one Of the Southern
railways demonstration agents urges
that If there is no other way for it that
there is some chance to utilize new po-
tatoes by cutting them, drying them in
the sun for some time, and sprouting
them in wet straw before planting. He
says he has often known new potatoes
to be made available for seed in this
way.
While the concensus Of opinion in
Rock Hill seemed to be that the first
and most important consideration is
seeds, still it is recognized that relief
measures must go beyond that. There
are hundreds Of people who are with
out anything to eat, and negro labor,
of course, is demoraliZed. While past
experience has demonstrated the great
difficulty Of affording practical relief
under such circumstances, there is a
feeling that organized effort is neces-
sary and that strong appeals should
be made to the country for aid. The
action Of congress in appropriating
5000, 900 for the Salem, Mass, fire suf-
ferers Is discussed, and while many
are honestly of opinion that govern
ment aid in such cases is Of doubtful
wisdom, still the people are unanimous
in their belief that hail sufferers in
EbeneZer and Catawba townships have
as strong if not stronger claims on
government aid than the Salem fire
sufferers.
Quite a number of Rock Hills busi-
ness houses have been hard hit by the
storm, especially through the financial
ruin of farmers who were being sup
piled by them. The statement was
made Saturday afternoon that single
concern has $4,000 worth Of fertilizers
in the hail stricken district, and others
of course have put out larger quanti-
ties Of supplies to people who have
been deprived Of all reasonable hope Of
paying their accounts.
Some Of the farmers say that the
tremendous rain which followed hard
after the hailstorm did more real dam
age than the hail itself. The top soil
was washed off and carried away clean
down to the subsoil making damage
that cannot be repaired except in the
course Of years, and some really con-
servative business men estimate that
the damage of this kind amounts in
the aggregate to not far short Of half a
million dollars.