Dry Spell Spells Trouble

September has been one of the driest three weeks in Arkansas history. Already hundreds acres of Arkansas land have gone up in smoke, and farmers say this dry spell is spelling trouble. The lack of rain means grass isn`t growing. And it`s the only dish on the menu for Bill Dorough`s cows. "I`ve still got grass, it`s awful tough, the cows don`t like to eat it, but when they don`t have anything else, they`ll go for it," said Dorough. Dorough says he considers himself lucky, some farmers have less grass than he does. "But it`s diminishing everyday that it stays dry like this," he said. So, some farmers are forced to sell some of that cattle. "[They`ll] market their calf crop a little earlier, that`s going to flood the market with calves, and prices are going to go down," Dorough explained. And where the cows aren`t eating it, the grass is catching fire. "This grass will burn, you can grab it squeeze it up, feel that it`s dry," explained Arkansas Forester Don McBride, as he pulled grass from the ground in Hot Spring County, outside Malvern. So far this month, the Arkansas Forestry Commission has fought 165 forest fires, burning almost 1,500 acres. That is compared to the entire month last year, when there were only 64 forest fires and 314 acres burned. "If we go another two weeks with no rain at all, plus humidity in the 30`s and 20`s, we will get into extreme fire danger," said McBride. The fire danger now is only moderate to high. As for the cows, farmers will be adding hay to the menu sooner than planned. "It`s going to hurt, this dry weather. But I can remember tougher times than this, a lot tougher," Dorough said. For a map of counties under burn bans in Arkansas click on the following: www.forestry.state.ar.us The commission advises residents to avoid burning anything outdoors, and be sure to check for a burn ban in your county.