NEWS AND NOTES 



A Season of Droughts farmers hauled water in barrels, for 



distances of several miles, to supply 



n ROM the Middle West, the West, their live stock. 



r and Northwest come reports of . »« ♦« j« 

 long-continued and damaging droughts 



—a peculiar condition, it would seem, to pj^^ Damage in the South 

 those who only a few weeks ago read 



of the destructive floods that raged in ^^ .^ ^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^is_ 

 the south and southeastern parts of the [\j .^^^ ^.^^ ^^ serious and disastrous 

 country. In the early part of Septem- ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^j^^^. ^^^p^ ^|^g ^^^^^^^ of 

 ber the drought conditions in western ^^^^^^^^^ q^ and other Southern cities 

 Pennsylvania and West Virginia be- ^ ^^^ ^^^j^^ ^^^ Damage to the 

 came so serious as to interfere with in- ^^^^^^ ^f several millions of dollars 

 dustrial activity. Several plants ot the ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ j^ Georgia- alone ; 

 Frick Coke Company were compelled ^^.^^ neighboring states suffered almost 

 to shut down, owing to shortage ot ||y appalling loss. While the West 

 the water supply; while at Morgan- ^^^ ^^^ Middle West suffered from 

 town, W. Va.. the big plant of the ^^^^^^ ^^^ forest fires, the South was 

 American Sheet and Tmplate Company ^^.^^ plagued with inundations that 

 was forced to suspend operations for ^^^^^ ^^^^ property to the value of 

 the same cause. Scores of lumber, coal ^nillions, and caused the loss of scores 

 and coking plants in the two states ^^ human lives. The same conditions 

 mentioned were also compelled to close ^^^ responsible for the floods in the 

 down for longer or shorter periods be- g^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ drought in western Penn- 

 cause of lack of water; while Johns- ^^^^i^ ^nd West Virginia, namely, 

 town. Pa., has been practically without ^j^^ deforestation of the mountain 

 water for some weeks, owing to the gropes. • Pennsylvania's annual flood 

 total drying-up of two of the large i^gg ^uns into the millions of dollars, 

 reservoirs supplying the town. and the South is rapidly coming to a 

 In the Middle West the drought con- similar condition. Spring and winter 

 ditions have been equally severe and floods annually ravage Pennsylvania, 

 long-continued. In the section sur- sweeping away in a few days property 

 rounding Laporte, Ind., and contiguous amounting in value to far more than 

 territory, on September 13, the farmers would be the cost of inaugurating and 

 ierriLui>, uu o K o, _ maintainino" a thorough and practical 

 joined m -"-t^T'^'oh'/ MichT TysteS of mountain-slope reforestation 

 ram. ^Through Indiana Ohio, Mich - sys^ ^^^^^ conservation by means of 

 gan. Wisconsin, Iowa, and on west ^^^^_^^^gj. reservoirs ; while the estab- 

 to the Rocky Mountains, the drought y^^^^^^^ ^f ^ comprehensive system of 

 also prevailed, doing great daniage and ^^^^^ reservoirs would do away with con- 

 paving the way for destructive fires, jji-jons such as have lately forced the 

 insect plagues, and a host of evils. Re- suspension of scores of mills and factor- 

 ports for the irrigated lands of the West jgg ^^^t have been comoelled to close 

 indicate that not in a great many years down on account of lack of water. Floods 

 has there been such a pronounced short- at one season — inundations that ravage 

 age of water for irrigation purposes ; an entire region and wash away millions 

 while, in the middle western regions, of dollars in property and other mil- 



