122 



FARMERS' REGISTER— SEASONS AND CROPS. 



Tile course throufyh Nansemond was marked 

 liy dt'strurtion of similar character, tliough of less 

 extent — and the storm tlioTiirJi much moderated in 

 violence, was still awful and terrihle in its passage 

 over Norfolk. The fi)llowing description is from 

 the Norlljlk Herald of June 6th. 



"A dense and dusky cloud hung over our town 

 on Wednesday evening, and discharged for the 

 space of an hour, a torrent of rain and hail, with 

 the severest thunder and lightning Ave have 

 witnessed for many j'eai's. The lightning exhibit- 

 ed one continued glare of flickering light, that left 

 not the fhiiallest conceivable interval of darkness; 

 while the thunder kept up an incessant and deafen- 

 ing roar, enough to appal the stoutest heart. Two 

 or three crashing peals that seemed as if they had 

 rent the earth asunder proclaimed that the storm 

 was not venting its fury harmlessly; — and we soon 

 after learned, indeed, that the lightning had struck 

 the livery stable of Mr. John Ford, but without 

 doing any other injury than ripping off some of 

 the boards. It also struck a small brick building, 

 contiguous to the dwelling house of Mrs. Jane 

 Collins, on Smith's Point, which it very much in- 

 jured, and a young negro woman, who was at the 

 latal moment stepping in at the cloor of the build- 

 ing was knocked down, and so severely stunned 

 that she is not expected to recover." 



The foregoing are but detached statements of 

 scattered tixcts, and limited views. But from these 

 it may be inferred that the amount of damage to 

 property is enormous. The loss of lives, and the 

 lesser personal injuries suffered, are much fewer 

 than could have been supposed, from knowing the 

 other eil'ects ol' the ditlerent storms — but still, the 

 deaths and wounds inflicted, probably exceed in 

 number, all produced in Virginia from similar 

 causes, since the first settlement of the country. 



Perhaps the circumstance which was the most 

 terrible of all in the diflerent storms, was the very 

 short time in which the destruction was produced. 

 The storm was raging with less, and no very un- 

 coamion violence, lor a considerable time: but the 

 hurricanes or whirlwinds passed over as it were 

 in a moment, without giving scarcely an indication 

 of approach, or even time to observe their pro- 

 gress. Those who suflered most from the effects 

 Ibund at once that their houses had been destroy- 

 ed, and members of their family wounded or killed, 

 beti:)re they well knew that the work of destruction 

 iiad commenced. Opinions are various as to the 

 duration oi" the storms in their greatest violence 

 — but by none is it made more than a i'ew minutes, 

 at any one ])lace. 



Some of the fiu-ms in Nottoway which had ex- 

 perienced the tull force of the wind on May the 

 5th, were again visited, and the destruction com- 

 pleted by that of June tlie 4th. The first storm 

 passed near Petersburg, and exerted its greatest 

 lliry a Cew miles south of that town. The second 

 passed as near on the north. If eitjier had passed 

 over the town, it Avould have been left in ruins. 



wind lasted only one or two minutes. In Williamsburg 

 between thirty and forty chimneys were blown 

 down, and several houses. On the farm of Scervant 

 Jones, Esq. seven of his negro houses were demolish- 

 ed — some of the negroes wounded. Col. William Wal- 

 ler's granary and stable were blown down, and seven 

 negroes more or less hurt. All the grain houses and 

 stables on the fai-ms of Dr. Waller and of Mr. S. 

 Bright, and similar damage was done at other places. 

 At Jockey's Neck, the farm of Thomas Coleman, se- 

 veral houses were blown down. Mr. Coleman and two 

 of his negroes were crushed to death — his overseer had 

 a limb broken, and four or five negroes were much in- 

 jured. All these persons had taken shelter in one of 

 the houses which were levelled by the storm. 



The course of the storm was from N. N. W. In 

 crossing James river, it capsized three schooners, aud 

 drove a brig ashore. 



The same storm, (or another at the same time) was 

 in a different manner very desti'uctive in a part of 

 Prince George county, on Warwick swamp. Hail 

 there fell in prodigious quantity, and some of it very 

 large. It remained on the earth, where lying thickest, 

 for more than fourteen hours, notwithstanding the 

 warmth of the earth and air, and a heavy rain which 

 fell after the hail. The wheat in that neighborhood 

 had not been reaped, and none is left lor the scythe. 

 Corn and cotton was woefully torn and beaten down; 

 but the former, if not both of these crops will probably 

 recover.] 



[And yet another! Since the foregoing was in type 

 accounts have been received of another tornado on 

 June 21st, which, in the neighborhood of WilHams- 

 burg, has produced effects no less awful and deplora- 

 ble than those already reported. The violence of the 



AGRICULTURAL, INTELLIGENCE, 



Season and state of crops on the Lower Roanoke — 



observations on cotton, Sfc. 

 To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Bertie County, A\ C. June 20th, 1831. 



A paragraph in the last No. of your "Register," 

 inviting the fanners residing in different sections of 

 the country to give a report of seasons and crops 

 in their respective vicmities, induces me to contri- 

 bute my nute. 



Solar, the seasons have been rather unfavorable, 

 and the effects are very visible on our farms. It 

 has been generally dry, with occasional heavy and 

 baking rains; unusually cold and hostile to vegeta- 

 tion. As an accompaniment to the cold nights, 

 the worms have been busy with our corn, and the 

 blackbirds have done their share of mischief. From 

 this cause we have an indiflerent stand of corn, 

 both uneven and backward. These attacks of the 

 worms are not confined exclusively to the low and 

 wet places in the farm, but prevail extensively on 

 high dry lands. Farmers of" lono; experience have 

 frequently stated in my presence uiis spring, that in 

 no former year have they been so much annoj^ed 

 by worms, or have they been compelled to re-plant 

 the same ground so often, Vvdth sucli httle success. 



A few years since, corn was the principal article 

 of produce made for sale on this part of the Roan- 

 oke; but latterly much time and attention are be- 

 stowed on cotton. Tins is also more backward 

 than it was last year at this time; the dry weather 

 which succeeded af>er the cotton was planted, jire- 

 ventcd it from coming up in the stifl' land, and it 



