Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-01-09
OWN. p. Houseal, in The State

ditons than has been witnessed by
! any one now living OH the globe. At
| first thought this may be Il bold as
sertion for one to make who,,may not
| be rs learned I'm the science of as
| tronomy as others who will no doubt
not accept the above statement as
correct, but who will view It with q
critics eye and a very severe critic,
| too.
The writer was convinced more
! than three years ago that astronomi-
cal phenomena were fast approach
ing one Of its grand periodical cli-
| makes, and that it would occur in
| the year 1917. This observation Of
| the onward movements Of the MEM
bcrs Of the solar system which tend
ed in this direction caused him to
look with great degree of appre-
! hension upon the period embraced
in the vernal equinox and the sum-
MGR solstice OF 1917 as to problem
atical direrul effects which the cli-
max might have upon the productiv-
| ity OF the earth in supplying the hu-
man family with necessary food. The
| writer acknowledges his qualification
that conditions in- this respect have
really been more satisfactory than
there was cause to expect and results
not therefore altogether detrimental
to the best interests OF tho human
family.
Upon the basis OF conditions which
have prevailed during the past sum-
mer the writer made the forecast
that cooler nights would prevail dur
Ing the entire spring and summer Of
1917 with fewer exceptions than is
usually the case. 1t is to be noted
that this forecast was verified in the
most accurate manner concerning the
| cool weather in May and frost has
occurred every month Of the year SO
far except July and August even
south OF parallel 81 and within %
miles or Columbia.
1t seems that the most ordinary
| observer OF meteorological conditions
during the past summer would have
discovered that something very pc
| culiar was occurring in natural phe-
! nomena. The writer has held many
interviews along this line during the
past summer with people Of various
avocations from all parts Of South
| Carolina and even from 6ther States.
lie would describe the state of the
atmosphere, foliage Of trees and
plants and the soil. Invariably when
| existing peculiar conditions were
called to their attention the writer's
observations would be corroborated
in every respect by the evidence
these visitors to Columbia would
furnish that the spring and summer
were breaking the record for strange
weather and it's effects upon soil and
crops.
The writer has not been out of CO.
lumbia during the past summer ex-
cept on three occasions-June 3,
June 1920 and September 1921. He
has not seen single farm in the
process OF cultivation, but only
knows from personal experience, in
cultivating kitchen garden in the
effort to add to the food supply in a
period Of national preparedness for
the war, that these strange condi-
tions were manifested in a most-re-
markable degree.
Early in June.
Peculiar conditions began to he
manifested most evidently on June
| when the foliage Of nearly all va
ricties OF trees was attacked with
rust and tinged with yellowish color
from which they have never recover
ed. We are accustomed to behold
with pride the verdant foliage Of
Southern forest trees, especially the
many varieties Of oak and elm. The
rusty, stained and tinged foliage of
these trees show that they have been
nourished neither by. soil nor atmos-
plere in the proper material manner
this year. Some trees other than the
trees mentioned above, with more
potash in their fibre. have been less
affected. However. the blackberry
even began to shed its foliage 60
dHvs after it budded in April, not
wilhstanding tho soil was we'll wa
tered by abundant rains up to that
time.
The abundant rain on May 7 should
have naturally penetrated the soil in
| such manner that 1t would have