Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1895 — LONG DROUGHT BROKEN. [ARTICLE]

LONG DROUGHT BROKEN.

A General Rain Comes to the Relief of the Farmers. The drought was broken in the Northwest and a generous fall of rain has come at the last minute to save the crops. The farmers have been in despair for weeks at the continued absence of moisture, with fields drying up, wells and cisterns empty, and the prospect staring them in the face of a destruction of crops. In many places there was a more immediate danger from prairie fires. All these fears have been set at rest by the opportune rain. Prairie fires have been quenched, farm lands drenched, and wells and cisterns filled, giving rise in some sections to meetings of thanksgiving. In some sections of Illinois it is the first rain that has fallen for nearly three| months. In Michigan, while the rain was! general, it was not copious enough to be of any lasting benefit. It is doubtful ifthe ground was wet to the depth of one inch, so that the most benefit to be de-j rived will be the keeping of the tops ofwheat and grass green for a few days longer. Copious rains have fallen through-! out Central and Southwest Missouri, and; the prospect for winter wheat is greatly* improved. Wheat out of the ground is] looking fine and growing vigorously. A considerable amount planted daring the drought has not come up, but this rain is expected to bring most of it out. In Nebraska it is believed to be in time to save all fall seeding, although the grains are not probably as heavy as they would have been but for the extended dry weather. The recent rains throughout Ohio have had a wonderful effect upon the fall pas-! turage that had been burned out by the! heat and drought of the summer, fieldseverywhere being as bare of as if swept by fire. The rains have caused the grass to sprout and farmers are no longer compelled to-give their stock dry feed as was the case the previous two months. The present moisture has also helped the wheat, and it gives promise of taking root sufficiently to stand the rigors of a hard winter. The snow and rain storm which has prevailed throughout Wisconsin has done a great amount of good. In some sections it has been three months since there has been any rain.. All of the forest and marsh fires which' have been burning for weeks in the cen- : tral and northern portions of the (state! have been extinguished. lowa farmers! and stockmen have been complaining much of the lack of water in wells and springs. Thousands of cattle have been the last few weeks been driven to rivers and flowing creeks for water, the ordinary supply being exhausted The rainfall must be heavy to relieve this want and the needs of the long winter months.