Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-06-27
The Crops-An ENCOURAGING Prospect.

|
From the New York World. June IL.
The past winter has been noted il
some sections for its few SHOWS anc
their thawing, in others for the grea
length of time which the SHOWS have
lain on the grou d. The misfortune O
the first is that the sudden thaws caused
most of the melted snow to run off into
the streams, and further that they were
followed by excessive degrees of cold
and long continued frosts. This fact
furnishes the key whereby we may easily
solve the cause of the death of ever
green's and wherever it has existed in
a grain-growing region the winter wheat
has been killed. Over how large an ex
tent of country this result has been
brought about cannot accurately be de-
termined in the present meager system
of our meteorological reports; but from
the sources at command we estimate
| that the area of winter-killed wheat
cannct be very large in that section of
our country which produces the great
bulk of our grain crop. In fact, in the
new grain-felds of the Northwest the
substitution of spring for winter wheat
| has become almost universal, and its
growth is attempted in only few
counties of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa,
| and Nebraska. The States furnishing
| more than half of our total wheat crop
are Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, California,
and Pennsylvania. Of these, Wiscon-
sin, Iowa, and Minnesota SOW but little
winter wheat, and hence, with such
seasons as have been reported, there is
every reason to expect from them good
crop of wheat from spring planting.
From Illinois the reports of the winter
wheat are very good, from Michigan
poor, from Ohio fair, from Pennsylvania
an average, from Indiana good, while
from Calforna we are informed that the
acreage planted has been largely in
creased, and the appearance of the crop
is excellent. From the South the re-
ports are very favorable, and new wheat
has already made its appearance in the
markets of Atlanta and Chattanooga.
At present the indications are that the
crop of hay will not exceed that of 1871.
At the same time, as during last year, it
is probable that the quality will be bet
ter than if there had been very favor
able season and an excessive crop.
Corn is one of the spring grains, and
hence has none of the dangers of severe
winters to undergo. The reports from
the various States indicate good pros
pect, though in many places the cut
worm is doing great damage.
The fruit crop of this year will hardly
exceed two-thirds that of 1871, but, as
is usual with a less crop, the quality is
everywhere expected to be better. From
the West we have the news that their
fruit crop is expected to be especially
good, while the grapes naay-laelx- ia
quality, but will excel in flavor. The
apple crop will not in any section more
than exceed that of last year, unless in
the southern Alleghanies. The fruit
crop of California, which, from rapid
transportation, has become an item of
interest to us, is stated to be large and
of the usual quality. The grapes will
be better than ever before, from the in
creased production of improved varieties.
From the South the welcome news
comes to us that the fruit crop there is
likely to be very great.
Deadly Encounter Between a Snake
and a Catfish.
The Savannah Republican tells the
following as vouched for by a gentle
man of that city, who recently had oc-
casion to visit the marsh on the other
side of the river. While over there
standing in the marsh, near pool of
water, he noticed that something was
going on in it that one is not accustomed
TO seeing every oay, ana, on lnVeStlga-
ting, found that very large moccasin
and good sized catfish were having
q terrible fight. The occurrence was
highly interesting, and he got as near
as possible to see what would be the end
of it. The combatants were fearfully
in earnest, and terribly energetic in
their efforts to annihilate each other.
The catfish would make daring passes
at the snake, always using his fins to
stick his antagonist with, and the snake,
on the other hand, would have to be
equally energetic in keeping clear of
the sharp points of the catfsh's fins.
The moccasin would throw himself into
striking position, and strike very fast, in
order to be equal to the frantic SUI ges Of
the catfish. At last, the catfish, in
making pass at the snake, struck his
sharp fin somewhere in a tender part of
the snakes belly, and the moccasin in
turn clinched the catfish in the back
part of the neck. In this position both
antagonists clung to each other until
they were dead-the poison in both
seeming equal. The fight lasted about
twenty minutes, including the last clinch
of the contestants.
The Electoral Vote.