Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-06-10

all the seed into the ground which their
plans and means allowed. The recent
light rains have been of great benefit.
There is reason to look forward toaplen-
tiful harvest. From an article in the
Springfield Republican reviewing the sea-
son and crops in this country we take the
following;
The soutlerners complain sadly of the late
frosts, and unquestionably they have dimin-
shca the promise of the cotton crop as il
was in February. Much of it has had to be
replanted, but the finest authorities in that
section predict one of the best crops ever
raised, and even calculate that it will yield
more money than any ever before gathered.
If the Montgomery Advertiser is correct, in
saying that it will net to the South no less
than $3.50, 900, 900, the yield must exceed
!, 800, o00, 900 pounds. 's--
Through the interior states OF the West and
the Mississippi valley, the winter wheat comes
out with better promise than usual of late
years. The bad weather of April and early
Nav intorfered seriously with the planting of
spring wheat, at least greatly delayed it, and
the corn is only now going in. But the ground
| is in fine condition for all crops, and the yield
from the spring planting bids fair to depend
mainly upon the extent of that planting.
Along the Rocky mountains in Colorado
and Wyoming the winter was very dry. The
farmers there have not learned the laws and
| advantages of fall and winter sowing, and feel
forced to wait for the April SHOWS and rain
before beginning their seed-time. Even in
the upper arkansas valley on the first of May
there was scarcely a sign Of spring. Bat
since then the season has been favorable, and
though many Of the old settlers in southern
Colorado have abandoned wheat and corn for
| cattle, the new corners in the central and
northern parts of the territory have more than
made up for this loss, and the agricultural
products of Colorado will, this year, be far in
excess of any previous season in her short
history. In the valleys of Utah, on the con-
trary, there was unusual snow during the win
ter, but their spring was quite as laio- as on
this side the mountains.
California only had about half as much rain
the last winter as in the winter before, but it
was so evenly distributed that, up to March,
it was felt that there was abundance, with the
reserve OF the previous year, to ensure the
largest crops ever made, and the greedy Cali
fornia mind rushed to a confident estimate of
forty millions bushels of wheat alone, as
against % to 80 millions for last year, which
was at least 30 per cent. more than any pre-
yious crop. But the cold, dry ''northers' y
and the scant rain of March and April turned
these boastngs almost to despair, and now
we are told that California will make but halt
a crop. But as the lowest estimates of this
half crop, however, are twenty millions
| bushels of wheat, it will be more than she ev.
er raised in any year, except the last, and
leave her margin of something like twelve
millions bushels for export. There is thus
evidently no occasion for her farmers, as a
whole, to go into bankruptcy. The other
crops in California, fruits especially, promise
well a late frost singed the vineyards in
April. but the vines soon put forth anew
Considerable cotton and tobacco will be
raised, this year, in that state. The cotton is
an assured success; and the trouble with the
tobacco only il, that the leaf gets too muc!
coarseness from the over-fartle soil.
! There is an unusual stock of breadstuffs
left over in the country. The storehouses at
Chicago, Milwaukee and other grain ports Of
the Mississippi valley present generous re.
serves. California, which includes Oregon
as well, boasts a surplus of fifty tons Of whea
available for export. On the whole, there
fore, the agricultural promise of the countr,
is satisfactory. If it is realized, the prices O
food are likely to be pushed still lower, ant
If 1t is not, they,can hardly be much advance,
except through the malign influence of wild
speculation.