Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-06-22
.CRoPS IN TENNEsSEE.
Monthly Report of Commissioners
J.B. KiIIebreVV.

WEATHER.
The weather for the past montl
in East Tennessee has been very
seasonable throughout and the crop
have been kept in a fine growing
condition; in Middle Tennessee
twenty counties report seasonablt
weather and four very wet, viz
Hickman, Montgomery, Smith ano
| Stewart; in West Tennessee foul
counties, Hardin, Henderson, Hen
ry and Madison, report the weather
very Seasonable, while eight report
too much rain for the growing
crops.
WHEAT.
Since the last report from this of.
fee, there has been an apparent inn
proVement in the wheat crop up to
the time of harvesting, and many
farmers believed that an average
crop would be harvested. But as
the wheat ripened it was observed
that the heads contained but few
plump, well-developed grains. In
a count of the grains in heads taken
| from a number of wheat fields in
/
! the State, the average number did
not exceed twenty-five, varying
from ten to thirty-nine grains to the
head. This idicates a poor yield,
for less than forty grains to the
head cannot be considered an aver
age yield. In addition to the small
yield the straw was found to be very
weak, and the grain no sooner
| passed the dough state than the
straw, on by far the largest number
of fields, tumbled down so that it
was impossible to save it except
with a reaper. At the date of this
report the harvest is well nigh over,
but hundreds of fields were left with
out any attempt to save the grain.
| estimate fully 0ne-fifth of the crop
lost by the inability of the farmers
to cut it with the common cradle.
Taking everything into considera-
tiOn-the large acreage sown, the
Scanty yield, and the loss by falling
I am inclined to believe the crop
will not turn out as large as was an
ticipated in my last report. In that
the crop was placed at three-fourths
of an average, or about $4,000
bushels. / do not believe now it
will exceed 100000 bushels, and
much of that of a poor quality. The
berry in many fields is very much
shrunken, and the lightness of the
bundles is remarked of almost every
crop. The best fields of wheat
which | have examined were of the
Fulz and BOughtOn varieties.
The wheat has still another ordeal
to pass. The weakness of the straw
makes broken bundles, with scarcely
strength enough to support them
selves. The shocks are loose and
open, easy to be penetrated by
rains. Should wet weather follow
the harvest, a much larger proper
ton of wheat than ordinary will be
injured.
OATS.
The acreage is reported large and
but little damaged from rust. The
winter oats are promising, especially
in the Southern parts of the State.
l still think there will be a full
average crop.
GRASSES.
The seaSOnable weather in ma
jOrity of the counties in the State
and an absence Of dry weather in
all, has been most propitiOus for the
grasses. Clover is very luXuriant
where sOwn upon good soil and
stand secured. Timothy and herds
grass are unusually promising and
a large yield of hay is anticipated.
TOBACCO.
This crop will be largely reduced
below that of last year. In the Up
per Cumberland river counties,
more especially in Jackson and
Wilson, the planting will be reduced
twO-thirds, and about one-third in
Trousdale. In the Clarksville re-
giOn, embracing the counties of
Robertson, Cheatham, Montgomery
and Stewart, the planting will prob
ably be an average one, but not so
large by a fourth as for the year
1877. More pains have been taken
in the preparation of the land, and
more manure and commercial fertil-
iZers than usual have been used.
Nearly the entire crop has been set
at the date of this report, but it is
not looking well. For the most
part plants were transplanted and
they have not grown up as well as
is desired or was expected. The
grasshoppers and cut worms and
beating rains have destroyed many
plants and though the season is
early enough for replanting, good
strong tobacco plantsare exceedingly
scarce. The plant beds dried up
much earlier than usual, and it will
be difficult to secure a stand in
fields where one has not been Sc
cured at this date.
West Tennessee reports about
twO-thirds of an average crop.
Taking the average of the three di-
visions / am inclined to put the
crop at about twO-thirds of what it
was last year. 1t is to be hoped,
however, that what is lost in guam
tity will be more than made up in
quality.
This crop is generally very prom
ising. In East Tennessee ten coun-
ties report an increase in the crop,
four report an average and two
decrease. In Middle Tennessee
6iSnle0u COuUlleS I6IOUG all dNSldSC
and four an increase. In West
Tennessee the crop is suffering for
want of work, the continued rains
making it impossible 10 keep down
the grass and weeds.
COTTON.
In West Tennessee cotton, like
corn, is suffering for work, though
generallyit looks we'll. .Thesame may
be said of the cotton in Middle Ten
nesse. AS mentioned in my report
for April, the acreage is not so great
as last year.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
Apples will be scarce in every di-
vision of the State. Peaches are
very abundant. Pears in a few
counties will be short crop, though
in a majority of the counties the
cIOp will be bOuntiful one. Cher
rieS are abundant. Large shipments
of strawberries were made from sew
eral points in the State, especially
from Davidson county in Middle
Tennessee and Gibson county in
West Tennessee. 1 hope to be able
to give the statistics of the ship
l. -