Year: 1873

There are few people who estimate at
their proper value, a few inches more or less
of rain fall in a season. 1t is a little drier


when we do not have it, a little hotter, a
little crisper, little more uncomfortable, a
little higher price for poor vegetables, and
that is, to most people, nearly all there is
, about it. And yet the want of rain for the


last few weeks, has been one of the most
, serious matters which has befallen us for
years. There was no opening of Spring for


many years past, which surpassed this one


in the probabilities of abundant crops
The Winter had been cold, so cold as to


largely enhance the cost of living both in


fuel and provisions, and the people looked
anxiously forward to the commencement of


milder season, during which their expen-


ses might be diminished. But the Winter


fingered all through March, and Spring


scarcely began with the beginning of April.


Indeed, April was as full of buster as an


ordinary March, and really took it's place.


This added to the Winter, made another


ton of coal necessity, and lessened the


ability to pay for it by the impossibility of


the ordinary Spring labor and remunera-


ton. Still, while colder than ordinary, the


Spring opened fairly; vegetables were back


ward, but offered fair promises. 1t advan-


ced so slowly that the cold nights with their


occasional frosts, did but little injury
There were copious and well divided rains,


soaking the ground SO thoroughly that when
a few hours of warm weather came, the re-
sponse of growth was immediate. The


grass never looked better. Not only where
the water courses carried life through the
meadows, and along the hills, and among
the rocks, but in the dry places, and along
| the paths trodden down by the feet of men
and cattle. The deep pure green was
marvel, and it's abundance was still greater
wonder. Every nook, however shaded or
trampled, the little earth fringes around the
rocks, the spaces between the forest trees,
the carpet of the tangled underwood, all
were alive with grass. That which had
been spaded up and sodded, took hold Wig
orcusly and began to grow. The fields
which were cut last year, and left over were
as luxuriant as were usually those which
had been freshly planted and highly fertil-
lied. The farmers remembered the blasted
crops of last year, and the buyers remem-
bered the forty or fifty dollars per ton paid
for hay, and the farmers wives remembered
the total absense of pasture and consequent
failure in the milk and butter which in
volved so great lessening of their ready
money, and their hearts reioiced in better
prospects. All other crops looked as well.


1t was true that many trees had been Win
ter killed, that is had been frozen to the
heart by the intense cold, and had died,


but the most of them had not been killed,
and though they put forth their blossoms
cautiously, the effervescence was abun-
dant. Now and then frost would appear,
and the peach growers would tremble and
the owners of other fruits look sad, but in
each case there was no harm done, and
mems hearts cease to fail for fear. The
early potatoes, one of the most reliable
crops of all New Jersey, advanced cautious
ly but surely, and only seemed to wait for
little pleasant weather to develop and be
ready for our tables. The corn came
through the surface, and grew with no
symptoms of yellow fever. The garden
vegetables were abundant; radishes large,
round, crimson and crispy, grew like magic.
Salad beds of various kinds, in a few days
covered the ground. Peas fiowered and
bloomed and podded with a luxuriance
which gladdened in advance the palate of
many an epicure. The beans, cabbages,
egg plants, with all the innumerable host
of early delicacies almost sang to us that
they were coming. Berry crops gave the
most abundant promise of all. In all the
lower and middle sections of New Jersey
there are but few crops upon which the
people depend for so large a part of their
ready money as this one. Especially was
this true of the strawberries. With many
farmers there was little or nothing to take
it's place. They had a considerable part of
their lands planted with these vines, and
had expended a large part of their means
in fertilizing them. They received usually
from one hundred to three thousand dollars
each year from this product, and received
but very little money from any other source.
Besides this, very many of the poorer peo-
pie derived most of their support for the
season from this source also. In many
vicinities, the Sunday and best apparel of
| the young women is mostly obtained from
their labors in the strawberry fields. The
shoes and clothing comes from the same
source, and in cases where that is cut off,
they are unable to replace it in any other
way. All hearts were exultant in the pros
pect, uutil the earlier part of May. All at
once, the rain ceased to fall. Days passed,
and while nothing serious was apprehended,
still the wish began to be expressed with
some anxiety that the rain would come
But it did not come. Weeks passed and it
did not come. The bloom of the trees
either largely withered, or if fruited, fruited
in blasted form from want of rain. The
garden vegetation mostly died in early
childhood. Very little of it came to matu-
rity, and that which did come, came so
feebly, and hardened so in growing that it
was of but little worth. The early pota-
toes are almost a failure. From the want
Of rain the tubers have done but little of
their ordinary work, and from present ap-
pearances, the crop will scarcely pay for
the digging. This was true of the gardens,
and is likely to be true of the early pota-
toes. The grass crop is nearly failure;
certainly, there will not be third of crop.
In many places, the sun and drought has
withered it so effectually that the very roots
are dead. While fields, which in the Spring


were crowded with the press of blades
struggling for the recognition of existence,
are nearly bare and desolate, while other
fields, more favorably situated, will scarcely
pay for the cutting, and will probably be
left for pasture. Possibly, some of this may