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By Mary Beth Martin
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
This summer’s drought combined with the record heat is causing pastures to stop growing, streams to dry up and orchards not to produce at their peaks. For several weeks, many farmers have been feeding hay to their cattle, which usually does not occur until late October.
It will be long, hard winter for the cattle, since they are not going to be in condition to face the cold weather coming, said one Flint Hill farmer. Eddie Williams has been feeding hay to his livestock for several weeks and the creeks and streams on his farm have dried up and become stagnant pools, forcing him to water livestock from his home well.
touis Moore Jr., a farmer near Flint Hill, agreed that he, too, is feeding hay ahead of schedule, and the streams on his property stopped flowing in August. A pond he uses for watering his cattle is about three feet lower than usual _ .and is no longer being fed by a spring. It has not been this low for a long time, he said.
In another field, where Moore installed a spring-fed waterer, his cattle have water. However, the spring there is barely flowing. He expressed concern about the water-table and said unless a significant amount of rain falls soon, he fears wells and springs will go dry.
The areas of the county that appear most severely affected are Gid Brown Hollow, and according to Williams, a two-mile strip running along Lee Highway. A fair amount of diversity exists in the rainfall •" falling in different areas of the county, said Moore. He said
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