Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1950-06-28
Heat, Dry Weather
Take Heavy Toll
On Tobacco Crops

Farmers IN the RAZOR City area
were complaining this week like
most people had never heard
them complaining before. Tho
story was the same from almost
one and all. Tobacco has suffered
greatly for the past ten days be-
cause of the extended hot wca.
Their and drought.
Bill Hooks, head of tho triple
A program in Columbus county.
said he did not wish to make
statement as to the actual extent
of the damage which has been
done to date, but he did empha.
size that tobacco was burning
According to Mr.. Hooks, the hot
weather is hurting the tobacco
more than the drought.
II have talked to many farm.
ers about the extent of the dam.
age" Mr.. Hooks said" and their
estimates based on a normal crop
under favorable conditions, has
varied greatly. Among those
whom I have talked TO arc
Fronts Strickland of the Cherry
Grove section and A. L. Fisher
of Whiteville. These farmers have
estimated that the crop yicl"
will be something like IS per.
cent less than the normal yield.
However, 1 am not going to make
any estimate of the damage at
this time
Mr.. Hooks said that it would
be for the best interest of the
crop if farmers would leave the
tobacco in the field as long As
possible before gathering it. Al.
though he stressed the fact that
it could not be left too long.
There was some rain in the
Evergreen section Tuesday night,
and that section apparently has
been hit the hardest by the heat
and dryness, but the county rs
a whole is still suffering for want
of cooler weather and rain.
The situation seems to be IA
Their widespread with tobacco
farmers in the Lumberton area
having the same problem as local
| farmers.
The crop in Horny county as a
whole appears to be hurt les
than the crop in most parts Of
Columbus although several farm.
ers in Horny have said that this
week that they expected a % per.
cent decrease in yie.d.
Fenton Miller, supervisor or
the Loris market says that Horny
tobacco is in better shape than
it was two weeks ago, and that
recent showers are responsible.
He has predicted good crop in
the Loris area.
Most farmers who got thc!r
plants out early in this section
are suffering the least from the
current weather conditions. II IS
the crop that was set late that
has been damaged most, how
ever, a good rain soon might
make this the best crop.
Charles D. Raper, Columbus
county farm agent, said today
that the crop is suffering ire
mendous damage all over the
county and that if rain and relief
from the heat did not come with.
in the few days that it "ico';cd
like there would not be more
than half a crop"
Mr.. Raper also stated ,hal
other crops were suffering hl"o
but that the extent Of The dam,
ages was not as great to dali.
"A rain can change a loi Of
things and with proper showers
in the next few days. the crop
may come out and be Letter than
anticipated. However, ii is al
ready hurt. The heat is wore
than the dry weather. T@iay
there is some breeze and II -
not quite as hot As it has h"cn
and that will help a little.
Il have planned to get some
statement out to the papers
about the tobacco crisis but there
is nothing l can do about it. The
two things that are hurting the
crop is the heat and the rain,
and they are beyond my control,
Mr.. Raper stated.
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