Evening star., 1951-10-07
No Break Seen
In Maryland and
Virginia Drouth
2-Month Dry Spell
Is ShriveIing Crops,
Drying Up Wells

No definite prospect of heavy
rain is in sight to break the
drought which is shriveling crops
in Maryland and Virginia, drying
up wells and streams and COM
|pelling some farmers to haul
water for their cattle.
The Weather Bureau said today
will be mostly cloudy and cooler
with occasional rain likely during
the afternoon or night. The fore
caster refused to hazard a pre-
'diction of when the two-month
dry spell would end.
The harvest in nearby rural
areas has been hard hit and next
years crops will be adversely
affected.
The towns Of Round Hill and
Purcellville in Loudoun County
Va, have ordered economy in
the use of water.
No. Shortage In d. C.
Washington, suburban Mary
land and Alexandria, Va, face no
water shortage yet. H. C. Richards
manager of the Alexandria Water
Co.. a private company that sup
plies Alexandria and parts Of Fair
fax County, said lack or rain has
not affected his firm. Water for
Alexandria is secured from Oc-
coquan Creek.
The District Water Department,
which supplies Arlington and Falls
Church. said there is a good sup
ply here. The Army Engineers
Office. which brings the water by
conduit from Great Falls for
publication. said gauges at the
Great Falls intake station show
the river is three-tenths of a foot
lower than it should be. The
gauges now show Is feet.
Harry B. Shaw, chief engineer
of the Washington Suburban San
itary Commission. which supplies
suburban Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties in Maryland,
Said the system is Gin pretty
good shape" He added there is
no immediate danger Of water
shortage. The commission gets
it's water from the Patuxent
River.
Rainfall Below Normal.
In September, there were 2.67
inches of rain, or 81 inches below
normal for the month. In August
there were It's inches, 2.14 inches
less than normal.
So far in 1851, there has been
a total Of 30.34 inches of rain,
Normally there would be 34.02
inches.
Among the effects of the dry
spell are a lessening of the milk
supply, with some lowered butter
fat content reported.
The water supply at Purcellville
is so low Mayor A. F. Anderson
has, called upon townspeople to
cease all but essential water US
age.
Abattoir Cuts Operations.
The towns biggest water user
the Cornwell Abattoir, cut Its
operations to one-third of normal
last week. Yesterday 1t was an
nounced the abattoir will be closed
lat least until Wednesday, because
of the water shortage.
A water committee at Round
Hill. Va. made up of Mayor o. A
Lloyd and Committeeman Jack
Myers and Charles J. Ford issued
a letter prohibiting used of sprin-
iklers and hose for watering anc
washing automobiles.
The supply in the towns To-
foot reservoir on Scotland Heights
was two feet below normal and
dropping daily.
Throughout Loudoun County
streams are drying up and pas
lures brown. Farmers are buying
feed for their stock.
The LeeSburg Livestock Market
had the biggest day of its history
last week.
Forced to Sell Stock.
Farmers were forced to sell
stock in an effort to avoid taking
a loss through purchase of feed
The market did a $4,000 business
in one day-at least $4,000 more
than any previous day. officials
said.
Jim King, manager of the old
Chillcott farm near Fairfax, Va,
now called the Fairview Farm, said
he has to haul about 1000 gallons
of water daily to supplement the
supply for $50 COWS and other live
stock.
Mr.. King said cow can drink
rs gallons a day-and even more
in warm weather. Until about two
weeks ago, Mr.. King was securing
water from the town of Herndon,
but one of the pumps there broke
down.
Mr.. King recalled that a similar
drought occurred in 1880, and he
had to haul water from May until
snow fell shortly before Christmas
The farms owners are Aubrey F.
Crovo and Grover C. Miley.
Streams Drying Up.
P. E. Clark, county agent for
Prince Georges County, Md, said
the drought in his area is serious.
Wells and streams are drying up
and conditions are not good for
seed cover crops for the winter.
Mr.. Clark said the main tobacco
crop has been harvested but was
badly affected by the drought.
Late truck crops, such as spinach
and kale, are drying up in the
field for lack of water, Mr.. Clark
said. Vegetable crops for fall har-
west and early spring also are af-