An unusually dry May has some farmers worried about the future of their crops, but while it has been dry, there is no need to worry yet, according to Halifax County Extension Agent Larry McPeters.
As a general rule, dry conditions don't set in for at least another month in this region, but it has been weeks since any rain has fallen.
A mere 1.26 inches of rain dampened the ground last month according to records at the South Boston Waste Water Treatment Plant, which is approximately two inches below average for this time of year. Windier-than-usual conditions and high temperatures have also baked the soil.
But while some lawns, with their shallow root system, may be turning yellow, Halifax County is not near drought condition at this time, McPeters said.
"It has been dry for this time of year, but I was on a number of tobacco farms around the county Wednesday where people were getting ready to top irrigate, but when I checked, I found a lot of moisture was still in the ground," McPeters said. "At this point in time, my advice is to save your water and save your money. I think we're sitting on a really good potential tobacco crop. It's growing slowly and should be a good, solid crop. And really, once you've got the tobacco in the ground and have a stand established, you don't really need to think about irrigating until right before layby."
The dry conditions will actually help these young tobacco plants in the long run, McPeters added.
"Right now the tobacco plants are developing a root system, and if they get too much moisture, they won't develop deep, healthy roots for when it really does get dry," he said.
But while tobacco may flourish from this dry weather, corn, soybeans, and other green crops will definitely need some rain soon.
"We're okay at this point, but we need some rain soon," he said.
Last year, nearly five inches of rain fell during the month of May, and farmers were wondering if it would ever let up long enough for them to get their crops in the ground.
"It was real wet, and then it just stopped in June and stayed dry through November. That was a drought," McPeters said.

Chad Jackson, a senior at Halifax County High School, was recognized as a four time All Star Wednesday night at the 15th Annual Burger King of South Boston All Star Banquet.
This marked the fourth consecutive year that Jackson, the son of Danny and Connie Jackson, has been recognized as an All Star.
Halifax County High School principal Larry Clark presented Jackson a specially engraved silver bowl in recognition of his achievements following a brief summary of the student's accomplishments.
Several students were recognized as three time All Stars. That group included Chad Compton, son of Chester and Valerie Compton, Jennifer Crews, daughter of Dr. J.O. Crews and Wanda Crews, Kimberly Martin, daughter of Cedric and Linder Martin, and Sara E. Williams, daughter of Larry and Althea Williams.
Following brief summaries of their accomplishments the three time all stars received engraved medallions.
Sixty eight Halifax County High School students and their parents were honored at the banquet that recognized outstanding students for their accomplishments in academics, club activities, athletics, and other facets of school life.
The students recognized at the affair included:
Kathryn Anderson, Kari Anderson, Joseph Bailey III, Ardit Bajraktari, Erica Ballou, Rebecca Barker, Branda Jo Best, Bobbie Bourne, Marjorie Bowers, Julie Burton, Monique Carrington, Brandy Clark, Kerry Clark, Jennifer Claud, Chadwick Compton, Kara Crawley, Jennifer Crawley, Donovan Davis, Kendra Durling, Duneika Easley, Timothy Elixson.
Shawtaya Fergus, Cecil Fisher, Nakelia Gilliam, Richard Harrell IV, Cindy Hendren, Chad Jackson, Tiffany Jackson, Jeremy Jacobs, Christopher Jennings, Jason Jones, Nora Lee, Keith Lowery, Josh Mandel, Timothy Marshall, Kimberly Martin, Dorothy McDowell, Jessica McKinney, Verlinda Morefield, Gray Morris, Jr., Sherman Pannell, Amy Powell, Latashia Powell, April Quarles, Latrece Ramos, Crystal Reynolds.
Carleton Roach, Casey Roach, Jessica Rose, Catherine Satterfield, Jason Seat, Matthew Shepperd, Jessica Sibley, Emily Steube, Melinda Terry, Hunger Thompson, Nicholas Thompson, Quinn Tucker, Kimberly Waller, Julius Watson, Clifton Whitlock, Amanda Wilborn, Charles Wilborn Jr., Laurie Wilkerson, Sara Williams, Shannon Wright, Christy Yeatts, Laura Young.
The guest speaker for the event was William O. Harris, Executive Director of the Halifax County-South Boston YMCA.
Following the event Clark expressed his appreciation to Burger King of South Boston for its support of Halifax County High School and its students through the continued sponsorship of the awards banquet.

By SHERRI WILLIAMS
Associated Press Writer
ELLISVILLE, Miss. (AP) - The widow of a barber killed by cancer after decades of breathing the smoke exhaled by his customers is not entitled to damages from the tobacco industry, a jury ruled.
''I don't think he'd be surprised (by the verdict),'' Ava Dean Butler said Wednesday of her late husband, Burl. ''But he would be pleased about the public awareness.''
The 62-year-old widow sued cigarette makers, claiming secondhand smoke killed her husband in 1994 at age 60. The jury deliberated about two hours Wednesday before rejecting the $650 million claim.
Tobacco lawyers argued that Butler had a family history of cancer, and that he had been exposed to asbestos in talcum power and methylene chloride in hair spray used in his shop.
''We bought the jury every piece of evidence we could find that would help them decide the case,'' said Philip Morris Tobacco Co. lawyer Bill Ohlemeyer. ''All of it indicated that Mr. Butler's cancer was caused by something other than environmental tobacco smoke.''
A previous class-action lawsuit brought by thousands of Florida flight attendants who claimed that working on smoky airplanes made them sick was settled during trial for $349 million in 1998.
An Indiana jury in 1998 found the tobacco industry not liable for the death of a nonsmoking nurse.
Mrs. Butler said she intends to go to schools, churches and other public places to inform anyone who will listen about the dangers of secondhand smoke.
''I'm going to make as many people as possible know that it will kill you,'' she said.
Other defendants in the case were R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., Lorillard, Liggett Group and the former American Tobacco Co.

A Nathalie teen will be sentenced in July after being found guilty of drug and weapons violations in Halifax County Circuit Court Tuesday.
Michael Lee Carrington, 19, of Harding Mill Road, Nathalie, pleaded not guilty to marijuana possession and the charge of possessing a concealed firearm stemming from his arrest November 4.
After reviewing the evidence, Circuit Court Judge William L. Wellons found Carrington guilty as charged and revoked his bond.
Carrington was remanded to the Blue Ridge Regional Adult Detention Center in Halifax to await sentencing.
In other cases heard Tuesday:
· An Alton man charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle in December of 1997 will be evaluated for placement in the Boot Camp Program.
Eddwardo Jamon Ferguson, 20, of Whit Loop, Alton, was identified as one of the individuals responsible for shooting at a 1993 Mercury Topaz GS occupied by Jerome Anderson December 3.
Court records indicate that a bullet shattered the rear window and imbedded itself in the driver's side headrest, but no injuries were reported.
Ferguson was remanded to the Blue Ridge Regional Adult Detention Center to be evaluated for eligibility for the Boot Camp Program and to await a July sentencing date.
· Two South Boston men were tried on grand larceny charges related to the theft of a vehicle from Crowell Motor Co. Inc. in South Boston.
Sean D. Massenburg, 28, of McKinney Street, and Keith Antonie Link, 27, of Glendale Drive, were both charged with stealing a 1998 Ford Sedan from the dealership November 14 last year.
While Wellons found Massenburg guilty as charged, he nol prossed the charges against Link, who claimed he was just a passenger in the vehicle and was not involved in the theft.
Massenburg was remanded to jail and will be sentenced during the July term of Halifax County Circuit Court.
· Clovis Lamar Logan, 29, of Willow Street, South Boston, pleaded guilty and was found guilty of misdemeanor trespassing and misdemeanor assault on a family/household member, namely his estranged wife, Lisa D. Logan.
Wellons ruled to amend the original charge of abduction to trespassing.
The judge sentenced Logan to 12 months on each charge for a total of 24 months, but suspended all but six months on the condition of Logan's good behavior for a three year period. He is to report to the Blue Ridge Regional Jail in Halifax by 6 p.m. today.
Wellons also ordered Logan to complete 50 hours of community service and obtain anger management counseling.
· Sharon D. Shorter, 28, of Turner Trail, Alton, pleaded guilty and was found guilty of stealing a Social Services check from Tonya M. Doomes of Alton between January 1 and 6, 1999.
Forgery charges were nol prossed.
Wellons sentenced Shorter to 12 months in jail with all but six months suspended on the condition of her good behavior for a three year period and ordered her to report to the Blue Ridge Regional Jail in Halifax June 18.
· Linda Burnett Wood, 40, of Roger Drive, Evington, pleaded guilty and to possessing crack cocaine.
Wellons ruled that there was sufficient evidence to find Wood guilty, but said he will withhold a finding until the defendant's first offender status is evaluated.
A presentence report will be submitted during the July term.
Wood remains free on bond.

A citizen report of a possible break-in in the southeastern corner of Halifax County led to the arrest of two South Boston men on drunk driving and drug charges Wednesday afternoon.
Six county units responded when a citizen called 911 to report in a possible attempted break-in at an Aaron's Creek Road residence shortly before 3:30 p.m.
Officers from the Halifax County Sheriff's Office were told to be on the lookout for two men driving a blue truck.
Within minutes deputies stopped a vehicle matching that description on U.S. 58 near Smiley's Store and arrested Daniel Shawn Lowery, 37, of Huell Mathews Highway, and Silas William Barnette, 43, of Llwellyn Avenue.
Reports from the Halifax County Sheriff's Office indicated that the driver, Lowery, was charged with DUI and refusal to take a breathalyzer or blood test, while Barnette was charged with possession of marijuana.
Both men are scheduled to appear in Halifax County General District Court June 9.

Mary Harris Daniels of Albany, NY, formerly of Halifax County, died Friday, May 28, 1999 at Memorial Hospital in Albany.
Mrs. Daniels was born in Halifax County the daughter of Robert Harris and Lottie Harris and was married to Algie Daniels. She was a member of Sweet Pilgrim Baptist Church in Albany.
Survivors include three sons, John R. Edmonds, James H. Edmonds and Rev. Thomas R. Edmonds Sr., all of Albany; two sisters, Mattie Dogan of South Boston and Mabel Edmondson of Danville; one brother, Henry Farrell of Victorville, CA; two daughters-in-law, Marie Edmonds and Cornelia Edmonds, both of Albany; 13 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren and 33 great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services for Mrs. Daniels will be held today, June 4 at 7 p.m. at Sweet Pilgrim Baptist Church.

Bennie Robert Davis of South Boston died Sunday, May 30, 1999 at Woodview Nursing Home. He was 79 years of age.
Mr. Davis was born in Halifax County on December 15, 1919.
Survivors include three daughters, Joyce Johnson, Regina Hughes, both of Chicago, IL, and Virginia Marable of Halifax; two sons, Richard Davis of South Boston and John Davis of Halifax; 13 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Rosa Goode of Suitland, MD and Patsy Brown of Evanston, IL; two brothers, George and Samuel Davis of Evanston.
Funeral services for Mr. Davis will be held Saturday, June 5 at 11 a.m. at New Vernon Baptist Church in Vernon Hill with Rev. Roger Ford officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the home, 1010 Height Trail, Halifax.

James Richard Mills of 5114 Halifax Road, Halifax died Thursday, June 3, 1999 at his home. He was 85 years of age at the time of his death.
Mr. Mills was born in Halifax County on August 7, 1913 and was married to the late Emelyn Carr Mills. He was a retired tobacconist.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete at press time.