The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-06-18
THE COMING CROPS.
Good Prospects for the CereaIs-Bad for
CnrfOn.

April than has been for several years. /
This condition prevailed from the east /
to the extreme west. The first crop to /
be considered is that of corn. In the |
corn region of the west it was feared /
during February that the ground would |
become so compacted by wet, and in |
many cases by the hoofs of cattle in |
stubble-felds, that it would be unsuita- |
bic for blowing and for being put In |
proper order for corn, but subsequent |
frosts, united with the abundance of |
moisture, pulverized the Jumps so much /
and placed the soil in such a fine condi- |
ton that blowing for corn in many sec
tons began nearly a month ago.
To raise such corn crops as have made !
the United States famous, have produ-
ced so much wealth, and have so often |
averted financial disaster, it is impor |
tant, in fact indispensable, that the |
planting shall all be finished by the |
25th of May, and the bulk be IN the |
ground from the 18th to the Goth, for |
the reason that if planted as late as the |
LIST of June there is neither time for the |
corn to grow md mature nor for the |
proper work to be done. 1t is true that
Individual farmers. with land in a high |
state of cultivation, with abundant help
at command, and with a full knowledge
of all the requirements, may possibly
raise a good crop within 40 days, but
such farmers know too much to under
take to do this unless forced to do so by
unfavorable weather, while if an adj
verse condition exists on the first of
June, it is more than likely to be con-
tinued even unto July, as was the case
last year.
BY all the accounts received from the
great corn region of Illinois, Iowa, and
Missouri, more than half the corn was
planted by the 10Th inst; the weather
was warm and extremely pleasant, and
grateful showers had fallen, which were
sufficient to start vegetation, but not
enough to retard farming operations.
Grass had started up almost at once,
giving dairy COWS full feed and a rapid
increase in milk and in the quality of
the butter were noticeable. Oats were
put in rather dry, but they are now
coming forward full of promise. There
are conflicting accounts in regard to
winter wheat, which might be suspi-
cious, but, as the weather of the later
winter months was not such as throws
wheat out of the ground, it may be
presumed that its backwardness or the
appearance of poor stands are due
mostly to the dry weather, and if so,
the wheat will quickly recover under
the influence of a warmer sun and of
frequent showers.
The breadth planted with various
grains, and especially with corn, is rep
resented on all hands to be large pos
sibly, or rather probably, it has never
been excelled. A great amount of sod
land has been broken and brought into
cultivation during the last few years,
giving larger area that may be planted
than we ever had before, and favorable
weather being given, all that is required
to increase its production is a good
price. It is generally estimated that
the net cost of producing a bushel of
is about 81 cents. a year ago the
crop of the previous year sold for little
more than what it cost to raise it, and
when taxes, interest, and other heavy
weights were added, corn-growipg was
| decidedly losing business. But with
the bad year of 1873 prices advanced,
and it is probably true that they who
had no more than half crops realized
more money therefor than they did for
the previous full crop and now, at the
time of this years planting, corn was
sold in the Chicago market in the neigh
borhood of 60 cents, which, less trans
pOrtatiOn, furnished a most handsome
margin, and it has been therefore
great inducement for broad planting.
The present prospects, then, for large
crop of corn are certainly good, and it
need not be a matter of surprise if it
shall be the largest crop ever raised
in the world.
1t may here be stated that there is
much more old corn in the country and
in the hands of farmers than was gener-
| ally supposed. It was probably held
/ I'LL, .1oA
! contingency until the prospects for the
coming crop could be forecast. Recent
ly large lots were thrown upon the mar
ket and prices Teceded trife, but they
subsequently rallied, for it is a truth,
nevertheless, that over wide extent of
the farming region of our country there
is an absolute scarcity of the coarser
grains. This is notably 50 in New Eng
land and in the middle states, where
drouth prevailed.
It is not worth while for anybody to
become alarmed at the prospect of a
large corn crop, since it will be large
only relatively, for a heavy surplus will
be required to supply deficiencies and
to fatten all kinds of stock, which have
been more or less pinched, and thus
place the country in the same position
it occupied two years ago. The increase
taken into account, and also the increase
of the manufacturing population, for
which large crop will Indirectly, but
surely, find employment. When ten
men previously idle are set to work,
they call for as many more, at least, to
] go to work for them. The farmers Ger
tainly are far from doubling that they
will realize a good price for their corn,
because they think they have nearly
completed a system of reduced trans.
portatiOn, or if they find such not to be
case, they will rejoice in the occasion of
| reCpening the conflict.
! Aside from the disastrous overflow of
the lower Mississippi we have no unfa-
vorable accounts from the cotton fields.
Last year there was constant rain 1t
was difficult to get a stand, more difficult
to clean out the grass, and the pillow 8
ran in mud. This year, so far, IL ap.
pears that they are having a fair aver
| age season. Whether the cotton plan
teIs are really planting less cotton and
more corn, agreeably to their new mot
to, is uncertain, though it is to be hoped
that each planter will gradually acquire
the habit of raising his own supplies.
| There Is so much satisfaction in eating
| cOrn-dodgers grown from corn of ones
own raising, as well as bacon, biscuit,
eggs and poultry, that nothing but
spirit of speculation, now proved to
have been i'll advised, could have in.
duced the planter to depend upon the
north for supplies.
No widespread disaster to fruit-buds
has been reported, though in some To-
calities peaches are killed. The hard
winter of 1S72-3 proved uncommonly
fatal to many orchards over wide sec
tions, and the opening of spring only
/ proves more surely that the trees are
past recovery. Replantings have been
somewhat extensive, but fruit growers
viii become more encouraged as the
memory of their losses wears away
NJ y Tribune.
The Sailors Bride.