Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-11
CROPS BEING KILLED
THROUGHOUT STATE
BY LONG DROUGHT
Since May 13 the Rainfall Here
Has Been Only .37 OF
an Inch.
NEW INSECT ALSO APPEARS

NEW INSECT ALSO APPEARS
With small streams drying up and
all growing things slowly withcring
away. Delaware and the Eastern Shore
If Maryland are in the grip OF what is
declared by farmers TO be the worst
drought they have experienced for
many years: I'm fact. longer than some
OF them can remember. Added to these
conditions the long dry spell is held
responsible for the appearance of an
insect which has been termed plant
louse for want of better name,
which is eating vegetation Unless
there is rain soon. with a waterfall
that will be sufficient to soak into the
parched ground for considerable dis
tance. farm products of Gll kinds will
he burned, according TO the statements
% several farmers in King street
market this morning. They declared
the conditions described are prac-
tically general throughout the PEN
insula. according to reports they have
received.
In this city the weather records as
maintained at the Street and Sewer
Department Offices show that the past
few weeks have been the dryest VIII
mington has experienced for many
years. Since May 13 the total rain
fall here has been only 81 Of an inch,
which has not been sufficient to lay
the dust" This is far below the rain
fall for the same period for the past
several years and as the conditions are
practically the same throughout the
county, ii is taken as evidence OF the
seriousness OF the present dry speH.
Early Potatoes Hard Hit.
Walter Sapp, of Chesapeake City
Md. who has a stand in king street
market. stated this morning that the
early potatoe crop is about dead. the
vines are drying up in the heat ana
because OF the lack of rain. The corn
crop is beginning TO he pinched and Is
drying up and the heat Is blighting
everything, he declared. In his sec
ton OF the country il has been nearly
six weeks since they have had any
rain and the ground is badly parched.
Edward O. Walton Of Pencader
hundred, another King street market
man. said ground that had not been
plowed wet is not burning up 80 fast,
but that which was plowed wet IS
drying ont and the crops planted in
il are being hurt. He said the drought
is keeping the hay crop back and II
will not make its fun growth this sum
mer. He explained that in sandy soil
rain is much more essential than IN
sections where there is heavy cla
and that the drought is much more
serious where the ground is largely
of sand. He said the dry spell i
hurting potatoes and there will not he
a. large a crop as if there had been
the normal rainfall.
Streams Drying Up.
q. w. Murray OF White Clay Greek
hundred stated that plant life has
been damaged to a great extent.
There has been no good rain for more
than three weeks and the ground is
DRYER than he has ever seen it. He
said small streams are drying up in
the country. He declared the potato
crop viii be gone unless there is a
good soaking rain soon. Late straw
berries are being killed and the corn
crop is being affected. He said in
sects are more numerous during dry
weather than during wet season
and they are doing great injury TO all
plant life. Leaves are being eaten up
and produce is being destroyed. y n
less We have a good rain very soon,
he said. there is going TO be SER
ious shortage in everything"
Mrs. Lewis Berger OF Brandywine
hundred. who has a stand in King
street, selling produce from her hus-
hands farm, said the plant insect or
Iousa has made it's appearance in that
section and is doing much damage to
growing crops. Cabbage. Gale. radish-
es and the like. she stated, are being
damaged or are whitening away as
the result Of the drought. Peas are
not filling and tomatoes, corn and
string beans are very backward. She
said there has been no rain there for
several weeks. She also stated that
she had heard of one farm where the
plant louse has boone so numerous
that the insects have dstroyed every
thing on it. The insect is something
Of a mysery and the farmers are at
loss to know what TO do TO kili II
on.
In the city grass on lawns Is being
burned up and leaves on the trees
are whitening On June there was
a rain fail here Of .0Z, wnfcn, now
ever. is only a light shower. For the
same period last year the city records
show that there were frequent rains,
the fall June As amounting to 224
which was an unusually heavy storm.
The fall on May 10 this year was 81
but since then there has been praeu-
cally no rain and there is no indica-
ton that there will be for several
days.