442 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 7 



papers are now full oi' such reports, which would ex- 

 tend the damage mach farther ; but wo limit our views 

 to what has been either seen or heard of in conversa- 

 tion with well informed and highly respectable observ- 

 ers of the scenes described, or obtained from corre- 

 spondents, as much to be relied on. 



In Gloucester only have we heard of even averaj:;e 

 crops of corn being expected ; and two {!;ontiemen 

 from that county are the only persons heard from, who 

 expect themselves to make better than average crops. 

 The letter of one (August 4,) is given below; the 

 other was seen as late as August 24. Also, on a few 

 of the best fiirms on tlie lower part of James river, 

 fair crops of corn are expected. Some of the poorer 

 lands by the railway between Richmond and Frede- 

 ricksburg do not seem to have suffered so much by 

 drought, as by other causes of unproductiveness. 

 Elsewhere, no estimate of any county would put the 

 diminution of the corn crops at less than one-fourth 

 below an average, and more frequently the estimate oi 

 loss would be one-half or more. We hope and trust 

 that very few parts of the state have suffered half as 

 much as the generally poor country of Stafford and 

 lower Fauquier, which stretches from Fredericksburg 

 to the Springs. The damage here must amount to 

 75 per cent, unless the land is totally worthless for 

 corn in the best of seasons. The greater number of 

 acres seen on the whole route of 36 miles will not 

 yield three bushels of corn each — and many acres 

 will not make even one bushel to each. The drought 

 extends, with its worst effects, over the rich grazing 

 lands of upper Fauquier, Albemarle, and the other 

 Piedmont range of lands generally. 



We know by experience the difficulty of forming 

 in advance estimates of the product of growing crops; 

 and also it is certain that the greater the calaujity, the 

 more it is magnified and exaggerated by tlie imagina- 

 tion and the fears of even the most cautious and judi- 

 cious, as well as the most respectable and veracious 

 farmers. Therefore we strike off a large amount of 

 the usual estimates of general loss when we suppose 

 that the present corn crop will be from one-fourth to 

 one-third below an average gross product; and that 

 through all the great regions spoken of above, there 

 will be certainly no surplus, even if not a great defi- 

 ciency to be supplied by importations from distant and 

 more fortunate places. Gloucester, the only county 

 in Virginia from which any good crops are reported, is 

 part of a fine corn-producing district. From the next 

 adjoining counties, and from the Eastern Shore of 

 Virginia, nothing has been heard. The northern 

 neck, or peninsula between the Potomac and Rappa- 

 hannock, has shared in the general drought. 



Even in places where heavy rains have fallen, and 

 more than once, the injury is very great. The preva- 

 lence and unremitting action of great heat have 

 been such, that the heaviest rains seemed to be entire- 

 ly evaporated in a few days. During parts of July and 

 August, and for several weeks, with very short inter- 

 vals of cooler weather, the thermometer was from 90 

 to 95 degrees, at the maximum height, in the shade, 

 in the country places in lower and middle Virginia, 

 and from 95 to 100 degrees, and sometimes more, 

 in the towns. 



By information from North Carolina, the crops have 

 suffered as severely by drought, in the upper parts ol 

 Northampton and Halifax, and in Warren, Granville^ 

 Caswell and Wake counties. On the low-grounds of 

 the lower Roanoke (a very rich and highly imi»ortant: 

 corn district,) the season has been favorable enough 

 to promise average crops. 



In Kentucky, as late as August 17, the season had 

 been highly favorable to corn and other crops. 



The crop of wheat, as stated in the notice in No. 

 5, has fallen much short of early expectations, and 

 over a much wider extent of country than was then 

 known. The unusually large proportion of straw, 

 caused the general error of estimate. For the corn 

 and other growing crops, we beg leave now to add the 

 following particular statements of correspondents, to 

 the general digest above. 



" Gloucesteh, Va. August 6th, 1S38. 

 "I have just shipped my crop of wheat, which ave- 

 raged nine bushels to one sowed, all of it on corn-land. 

 The promise from tlie amount of straw on tJie land was 

 much greater. The quality^ ol the grain is fair. The 

 season has boon favorable for the corn crops in Glou- 

 cester; and I think a full crop must be made, even if 

 there should be no more rain, the ground being now 

 thoroughly soaked. But in this favored region the 

 rains come with such regularity and frequency, that 

 the poor and backward lands will no doubt be visited 

 to the hearts' content of the farmers." 



"Buckingham, August lOtli, 1S3S. 

 "The drought throughout this region is fearful. A 

 bushel of corn to the acre will not be gathered front 

 thousands of acres of the hill-land croj). May you not 

 render a valuable service to the communily, by a con- 

 densed exhibition, in your next or an early number of 

 the ' Register,' of the most economical means of feed- 

 ing stock, &.C. How hogs are to be fattened this fall, 

 and how a stock for the future is to be maintained 

 through tlie winter, arc important inquiries, in the so- 

 lution of which you may afford important aid." 



" Lunenburg Co. August 10th, 1838. 

 " Our agricultural o]ierations are quite at a stand for 

 the present; we are now experiencing the most dis- 

 tressing drought I have known for many years, if in my 

 life. For several miles around my neighborhood, and 

 in the vicinity of IVIecklenburg Court-house, it really 

 looks as if many, whose prospects were good a few 

 weeks ago for an average crop of corn, will not now 

 make scarcely a third or a fourth of a crop — some say 

 scarcely seed — if it does not rain soon. The tobacco- 

 crop cut short, I think, half, if not more." 



" Halifax, Va. August 12th, 1838. 

 "As I am at leisure this evening, I will drop you a 

 few lines, partly on business, and for the purpose of 

 giving your readers, through tlie medium of* your ' Re- 

 gister,' a faint account of our crops that arc made, and 

 those that are not made, and, I fear, never will be, to 

 any sort of perfection. Our wheat-crop was thought 

 by some, previous to its being cut, to be very fine in 

 quahty, and promising good quantity; but, I believe, 

 all, or at least the greater part, now admit themselves 

 to have been deceived. The grain is generally small, 

 and rather shrivelled than oUierwise. The quantity is 

 generally below the common estimate. As far as I 

 have seen or heard, our oat-crop was next to a failure. 

 At this time the corn-crop is suffering more from 

 drought than I recollect to have ever seen one. It is 

 nearly spent : in fact, I fear that it is entirely so. ll 

 rain does not come in a few days, I think we may not 

 expect but little over half a crop in this upper part ot 



