Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-02-11
Small Cotton Crop Again This
Year.

sOII1dlx SOl4Sh SAoS &ASoAA = S~AS
Year.
w. P. Houseal, the Dutch weather
prophet, says the cotton crop this
year will be approximately half mil
lion bales below that of 1919. This
reduction will be brought about by
the adverse weather conditions, he
saws, the area of excessive precipi-
tation in the Southwest moving east
ward into the South Atlantic states.
The planting of early vegetables may
be begun now with practical assu-
rance of immunity from killing
frosts. He says:
February is the climatic month of
the winter. It is the month OF the
winter in which the lowest temper
.atures have occurred in the South
notably February IA, 1889, when
temperature eight degrees below zero
was recorded along the 34th parallel
Tin the clay region 80 miles north OF
.Columbia). In February, 1927, ST.
Johns river in Florida was frozen
over, with the most severe weather
ever known in Charleston.
Exactly the reverse is also true
as to high temperatures in February.
On February Ia, 1874 Compared to
the same date in 1S99), boys played
barefooted in the streets of Newber-
ry with the temperature at 80 de-
grees.
Comparatively warm weather is in
dicated for spring. Early vegetables
such as are reasonable to plant the
latter part of February can be start
ed now with safety from killing
frosts. 1t is not said that no frosts
will occur.
sI am entirely satisfied that the
presence of the ultra violet ray with
more or less intensity in the atmos-
phere is the controlling element in
the occurrence of killing frost. The
ultra violet ray affects the two ex-
tremes-the cold of the temperate
zone and the heat of the tropics-in
the same manner.
Gone of the Haskin articles in The
State recently advanced the theory
that the reason why the white man
could not endure the heat of the trop
les is due to the presence of the ul-
ira violet rays in superabundance in
those regions. In this region the force
of the ultra violet ray is multiplied
intensly under centain conditions
which occur at irregular stated inter
walls not more often than twice each
month during the year.
Grain will be more abundant dur
ing the spring. 1 said in my Febru-
ary forecast last year that it would
be more matter of precipitation
than low temperatures which would
retard the planting of cotton and the
production of a large crop. Condi-
tions still prevail when prospects fo1
large fiber crops will not be realized
In the case of cotton, the boil weevil
to some extent may be left out OF
the question and still cotton will be
affected generally, more by adverse
weather conditions than any other
cause.
February 6, 1919, my forecast
for the cotton crop of the year was
1O,48O,1sO bales. It will not vary
10000 from this estimate in the fl
nal count.
"My forecast for the cotton croI
,of 1920 is 9,99s,130 bales.
"The area of excessive precipita
tion which has existed in the South
west almost continuously since Au
gust, 1918, will move to the South
Atlantic states during 1920, and thu'
overfows are indicated in bottom
lands to an extent equal at least tt
the seasons # 1919.
Especial forecasts of temperature
will be given in future from time t.
time. THE State.